School playgrounds are used by all the community, and yet, the responsibility of fundraising for school playgrounds rests mainly with Parent Advisory Councils (PAC).
While the City of Delta provides up to $35,000 or $45,000, depending on the kind of playground, this is often less than half the final playground costs, according to an Independents Working For You news release. Playground costs have risen over the last 10 years and can range from $60,000 to $100,000. This represents many years of intense fundraising for a PAC who are often asked to fundraise for school supplies and field trips.
“The burden for fundraising is too much for Parent Advisory Councils and if elected, we are committed to increasing funding for School Playgrounds by the City of Delta,” said Coun. Jeannie Kanakos who I seeking re-election with the Independents Working For You team. “We will also assist with securing more funding from the private sector for all our playgrounds.”
Fellow council candidate Sandeep Pandher said his family was one of many who contributed to the new playground at Sunshine Hills Elementary.
“This was a tough journey for the both the parents and the teachers at the school,” Pandher said. “Playgrounds are used by all of the community and more help on securing funding for future playgrounds is needed from the City of Delta.”
The Independents Working For You slate has put a priority on a healthy community and see playgrounds as an integral part of a safe, healthy and happy community.
“Based on our discussions with the community we have heard from parents that there is a need for help with fundraising for the construction of playgrounds from the City of Delta,” said Kanakos.
“Our slate agrees that school playgrounds are the heart of our community and are where children and adults gather for exercise and fun. We need to collaborate with our school district to find solutions that meet the needs of our community,” added Pandher.
