Knox Elementary School’s playground equipment will be getting some major upgrades, thanks to Lowe’s Operation Playground grant of more than $40,000. Representatives from the Plymouth Lowe’s store presented a giant check to the Lil’ Redskins Booster Club and other school officials during Thursday’s Basketball Bonanza event. That, along with $16,000 raised by the booster club, will be used to replace the west end playground used by first and second graders.
Booster club members say they’re working with a playground company out of LaGrange, Illinois to build a playground that will incorporate multiple slides and pathways. They add that they’re still working on applying for other grants to take the upgrades even further. Plans call for the new playground to be built this summer.
The grant funds were formally accepted by the Knox School Board Tuesday. The school board thanked booster club members Charlene Libey, Jamie Shireman, and Shelly Kemble for spearheading the effort.
Meanwhile, school board member Kirk Bennett asked if there was any update on the funds raised for playground equipment by the former parent-teacher organization. “Any progress on getting in touch with the old booster club to come in and talk to us about maybe what they’re doing with the funds that they’ve got?” he asked. “There’s a lot of great things happening with the Lil’ Redskin Boosters. It would be nice of the old club could join in and participate.”
Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart said the school corporation’s attorney is still working on it.
In other business Tuesday, the Knox School Board accepted a $170 anonymous donation through the Northern Indiana Community Foundation for the elementary school’s Kindergarten Countdown program.
