Windsor Terrace elementary schoolers broke ground on a student-led playground improvement project on Thursday — bringing smooth, safe grounds to a schoolyard that was previously riddled with cracks and bumps, according to councilman Brad Lander (D—Windsor Terrace), who funded the project through his participatory budgeting process.
“The first grader-lead redesign of PS 130’s schoolyard is one of the most inclusive and inspiring community design processes I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of them,” said Lander.
The PS 130 PTA worked last year to win funding through Lander’s participatory budgeting program, which allows average citizens to vote on how to spend their city council district funds. The project also received funding through Assemblyman Robert Carroll’s office and the Trust for Public Land.
After months of campaigning, the Parent Teacher’s Alliance got their playground proposal on the ballot — where it successfully secured them $600,00 for the reconstruction project.
Construction on the proposal is expected to begin soon, and will be finished by summer 2020, according to Lander’s office.
In addition to the playground improvement efforts, Lander’s funds also include money to build new playground equipment, basketball hoops, soccer goals, and a synthetic turf field.
