SHELBURNE FALLS — After a week of construction, months of fundraising and decades of waiting, Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School students will have a new playground to enjoy beginning Tuesday, Aug. 26.
The school’s Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) invites the community to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the playground, 75 Mechanic St., at 3 p.m. that day.
The PTO spent the past year fundraising to replace the playground, which is estimated to be more than 30 years old. The playground replacement is being supported by $44,000 in donations from local businesses and residents, $100,000 in Community Preservation Act funds and a $75,000 earmark included in the state budget.
The new playground will be compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. It will feature wheelchair-accessible play structures, adaptive swing sets and accessible rubber surfacing. It will also include slides, seesaws, climbable features and ground-level play areas.
This first phase of the replacement is addressing the playground that serves preschoolers, kindergartners, first graders and special education students. The PTO will continue to raise money for future upgrades to the playground equipment for the older children, with installation of those features ideally occurring next summer.