City staff is recommending that the City Commission approve $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for a new inclusive playground at Whittier Elementary School.
Commissioners will consider the funding request during their April 5 meeting.
CDBG funds are administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and are intended for projects and programs in low to moderate income areas.
GFPS received $418,200 in donations for Longfellow Elementary School
Great Falls Public Schools submitted the grant request and said in their application that typically, GFPS playground improvements are funded by local PTA fundraising efforts.
“With a high poverty school population, such as Whittier, the necessary connections for PTA fundraising to be effective are more limited as compared to a low poverty school population. This creates inequity for a school such as Whittier. Whittier Elementary is the second highest poverty school in the community and would be the fourth school in the district with a more inclusive playground for children of all abilities,” according to the staff report.
Playground installation is scheduled for this summer.
City making another adjustment to CDBG process for appeals
The project includes removing existing dilapidated play structures, replacing pea gravel with a “safe and accessible surface material creating a zero transition from asphalt to play surface” and the purchase and installation of new inclusive play equipment, according to the staff report.
GFPS is planning to also update the exterior basketball hoops and asphalt in the near future with other funding.
City staff have coordinated with GFPS and the HUD office in Denver to ensure the project was eligibility for CDBG funds for public facilities and improvements.
