Students at Blundell elementary will have a new playground when they head back to school this fall, thanks to a new funding program, the province announced on Tuesday.
The news was welcomed by the Richmond District Parents Association (RDPA), which has long lobbied government for more playground funding.
“The pressures are huge. If the ministry isn’t paying, it falls on the PAC. In a lot of cases that can take many years to get a new playground,” said RDPA vice-president Andrew Scallion.
As part of the provincial government’s Playground Equipment Program, B.C. schools will distribute up to $5 million to buy or replace playground equipment. This year, 51 schools throughout the province will receive funding of either $90,000 for a standard playground — as is the case for Blundell — or $120,000 for an accessible playground.
Often, schools or parents are left to raise funds to upgrade playground equipment.
“We don’t think there should be any question that the government should pay for it. The playground is an essential part of an elementary school,” said Scallion, who is part of a fundraising group at Bridge elementary for its own playground.
To get provincial support through the new program, school districts applied for funding in April. Scallion said Richmond has two other schools in need of a playground. However priority was given to schools without a playground entirely, followed by schools with an aging playground.
“We didn’t expect to get all three. There are 61 districts in the province,” said Scallion.
Education Minister Rob Fleming said the funds should relieve parents from ventures such as bake sales they may not have time for.
"Today, we're delivering this fund to help parents, and provide access to communities that don't have the fundraising capacity to buy the play equipment students need," said Fleming.
“This new program will alleviate some of the inequities in parent fundraising, and enable PACs to strengthen their advisory and advocacy roles," said Jen Mezei, president, B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils in a press release.
"Parents have advocated for this for over a decade, and we thank the government for the ongoing commitment. We believe that safe and accessible playgrounds should not be dependent on a school community's ability to raise funds, and for too long have felt the burden to ensure schools and school communities have safe and engaging play spaces."
