Playgrounds to return soon
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Bureau
After leaving campuses without playground equipment for two years, the state Department of Education is just a week away from seeking bids for 17 schools.
It will still be at least six months before students will get to play on any playground structure, but yesterday's news from DOE facilities specialist Lester Chuck represented a breakthrough in what had become a logjam of paperwork and bid wording.
The process got bogged down as the DOE tried to get the best equipment to fit the individual needs of each of the schools seeking a playground.
Meanwhile, parents and principals have been clamoring for something for the kids to play on.
"I'm angry about the millions (of dollars) sitting there untouched," said Jennifer Fram, an Ahuimanu Elementary School parent. "The state should give every single school a playground."
Last year, the state Legislature handed over $3 million to pay for the playgrounds. This year an additional $1.5 million was appropriated.
"We have the opportunity to put in equipment that will last some 30 years," Chuck said. "We want to get the equipment in as soon as possible, but we don't want junk out there."
Al Suga, acting DOE assistant superintendent, said they had to change the bidding process to make sure they got quality equipment.
"Because the equipment is so unique, the department needs to go through a custom set of specifications" for each school, he said.
In the spring of 1999 the department began yanking out playground equipment that didn't meet federal safety guidelines, leaving 56 schools without any play structures. The rest had one or two pieces of equipment left or had access to city playground equipment, Chuck said.
In response, the city spent about $100,000 per park to put in federally approved equipment, rubber surfaces and handicapped access. Some of the parks are close enough for schools to use at recess. So far the city has installed 34 playgrounds and plans to have an additional 55 by the end of the year.
Some parent groups and schools held walk-a-thons, auctions and magazine drives to raise the money to buy and install playground equipment for their schools while the rest wait for state help.
Now on the verge of going to bid, the Department of Education estimates it will take $100,000 per school for equipment, site preparation and rubber surfaces.
One playground contractor feels the DOE can stretch its money and build twice as many playgrounds.
It shouldn't cost $100,000 per playground, said Shep Langsner of All Quality Builders, the contractor for all of the city's playgrounds.
Langsner sent a letter telling the DOE and board members that it can do the site work, the play structure and the concrete pad for half that amount.
There is even a way to make it so the play equipment isn't of a cookie-cutter design, Langsner said.
Chuck said the bidder who meets the requirements — quality, price, play value and design — will get the contract.
Ahuimanu Elementary School principal Anne Marie Duca just knows that she wants new equipment soon.
"We have an empty playground," Duca said. "It's very frustrating for us at the school level. We have good people at the department, but no one has a strong sense of how important this is to our school."
Ahuimanu was one of 85 schools to submit a playground plan to fit their educational and play needs. But the department can only pay for about 30 schools right now, Chuck said.
The rest will have to wait until more money is available.
