Niles Elementary School District 71 has completed work on a new early childhood playground and family park on the grounds of Culver School.
Today, a dedication ceremony to formally open the park was attended by the Niles 71 School Board, community members, and many Culver families. It capped off two summers of work to create or improve play areas surrounding the school building.
“This park exemplifies our special community,” said School Board President Matt Holbrook. “We worked, all of us together, to plan, fund, and design this wonderful space. It took vision, creativity and lots of hard work by all the district’s stakeholders for the park to become a reality, and for this I am very grateful.”
The park project transformed an underutilized blacktop section of school property into a beautiful new green play space for children and families. The design for the park includes shady areas with benches for families to gather, a new playground specifically designed for preschool students, and a remodeled playground that fosters skill development for older elementary students.
According to Culver Special Services Director Laura Guarraci, “We have a growing student population in preschool and early grades. The park is especially designed to create many active learning experiences for our youngest children. The park will be a great asset to our growing preschool program.”
The park is a community asset, and the district is relying on the citizens of Niles to protect and care for the new plants and equipment. The park is open for public use outside school hours, from dawn to dusk.
“From the beginning, the cornerstone of this new park and playground project has been community, said Superintendent John Kosirog. It shows that our community cares about children and families and cares about its future.”