FRANKLIN CO., Va. – Students at Dudley Elementary School have been without a functioning playground since March — and the school community isn’t waiting on the budget cycle to fix it.
The playground, which is 20 years old, was roped off after staff noticed safety issues caused by years of wear and tear. Exposed screws and separating weight-bearing structures made it too dangerous for students to use.
“Because of age and, of course, being in the elements and wear and tear over 20 years, some things have happened like certain screws have become exposed, and there are some places where you would need it to be weight-bearing that are separating,” said Chinah Jewell, a special education teacher and parent at Dudley Elementary. “So it would not be safe to continue to hold up a student population.”…