It’s that time again…get out the Vote. On November 8th millions of Americans will go to the polls and not only choose the next President of the United States but arguably more importantly vote for local measures and parcel taxes to boost funding for local initiatives.
The quality and quantity of parks and playgrounds we have in our society is directly related to the funding these types of projects receive. As citizens who utilize our public parks, and whose children play, learn and achieve on their playgrounds, it is our responsibility to take the “initiative” and educate ourselves on current ballot measures, initiatives, and propositions that may or may not help provide the necessary funding to these vital resources.
One ballot item facing California voters this November is the California Public School Facility Bonds Initiative, also known as Proposition 51. In a nutshell, Proposition 51 is the first education bond to appear on the ballot as an initiative, and the first education-related bond measure to appear on the ballot since 2006. A “Yes” vote on Prop.51 would allow the state to issue $9 Billion in bonds for improvement and construction of school facilities (playgrounds included) for K-12 and even community colleges. Another Education Initiative on the ballot is Prop. 55 which is projected to generate annually between $4 billion and $9 billion, with an estimated half going to K-12 schools and community colleges and the remainder to the General Fund.
To learn more about Propositions on the ballot, please click here
The most common ballot measures to truly affect schools are Clean, Safe and Accessible Initiatives. In addition to making our schools safer and more accessible, modernizing classrooms, science labs, roofs, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, these initiatives can help school districts replace old, unsafe, and non-compliant playgrounds with new clean, safe, and accessible playgrounds. Miracle Playsystems has successfully replaced hundreds of non-compliant playgrounds through local ballot measures such as these:
Cotati Rohnert Park USD Measure B 2014
Santa Clara USD Measure H 2014
Rincon Valley USD Measure F 2014
South San Francisco USD Measure J 2014
Jefferson Elementary School District Measure E 2014
Livermore Valley Joint USD-Measure J 2016
Lafayette School District Bond Measure C-2016
Another way Miracle Playsystems helps in this area is through the use of our Playground Needs Assessments. When a bond measure is passed, the school or park district is then responsible to allocate the funds to various areas of need. This daunting task requires a vast array of knowledge and time. Our Playground Needs Assessment is a free service that saves decision makers time and effort. The assessment takes inventory of every playground in the district, its age, its manufacturer, a rating on each structure’s safety and compliance, as well as suggestions and budgetary numbers for replacement of the old and non-compliant structures. This essentially creates a “road map” for our customers to understand their needs and plan for efficient replacement of aging structures. Miracle Playsystems is proud to have completed (and continue to update) Needs Assessments for virtually every public school district in our region.
Learn more about and schedule your free needs assessment here.
Please help us continue to Create Fun and enrich our communities through play. Please get out the vote and continue to push for initiatives to promote the fun in life!
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