Westport grade schools likely to get $216K
Funds earmarked for outdoor classrooms, sensory equipment
WESTPORT — Outdoor learning spaces and sensory equipment will soon be coming to the elementary schools after the proposal secured another necessary approval.
The proposal has been in the works since at least April, and has already gone through the Board of Education, Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting’s finance committee. The RTM’s education committee is the latest to approve it. The proposal is expected to appear before the RTM on Tuesday.
The bulk of the elementary school projects will be covered by the $216,000 or so the schools are requesting through the American Rescue Plan Act funds. Coleytown is set to get about $52,600, Kings Highway will get about $43,100,
Long Lots will get about $40,500, Saugatuck will get about $52,200 and Greens Farms will get about $27,600. Some of the projects will also use money raised at the individual school.
“The demographic that they felt — and I agree — had experienced some of the worst of the pandemic were our kids,” Superintendent Thomas Scarice said. “We brainstormed projects that we felt would really address some of the residual impact from the pandemic on our kids, which was largely around the social/emotional piece.”
He said they had academic-oriented projects covered by the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund grant. They wanted projects that could meet community needs for the ARPA funds.
The district used ARPA money to add a high ropes course at the high school, which Scarice said fulfills a social-emotional wellbeing need. It also implemented a new fitness program at the middle-school level during recess, which should be ready to use by the spring.
Scarice said Coleytown, Long Lots and Saugatuck elementary schools requested sensory equipment, while Greens Farms and Kings Highway elementary schools requested outdoor learning spaces.
He said the sensory equipment would help meet the needs of social and emotional difficulties created by the COVID-19 pandemic; allow for more movement during the school day; and create sensory feedback.
“We certainly have a challenging situation with our students learning how to self-regulate when they spent the better part of a year or two in less-thanoptimal conditions from the pandemic,” he said.
Scarice said teachers, occupational therapists and school psychologists recommended equipment that can address the sensory needs in the schools.
Some of the indoor equipment incudes kinesthetic work stations, pedal desks and wobble stools. He said that it is “self-selected,” so children can choose if they want to use it.
For the outdoor equipment, Scarice said personnel within the schools selected their own equipment, and it encourages children to socialize. Some items include drums, chimes and balance and coordination playground tools.
The outdoor learning spaces at Greens Farms and Kings Highway would allow for outdoor teaching lessons, develop creativity and problem solving skills, kinesthetic learning, improve attention and promote active and healthy lifestyles, Scarice said.
Scarice said these outdoor spaces would be used about 11 months of the year, considering the traditional and extended school year. they could also be used for various things, including kindergarten through fifth grade classes, staff meetings and after-school activities.
The outdoor space would include a gazebo, flat benches that can sit more than 20 students and galvanized hardware. Scarice said it can last about 20 years.
The proposed structure is recommended to be a hipped shade pavilion, which includes 80 percent shade and 90 percent UV protection, Scarice said. The flooring of that structure would be determined based on a town ordinance.
Jack Klinge, a District 7 RTM member, said he’s noticed people across Westport want equality in their facilities. He asked if they can expect a request next year for outdoor facilities in the schools that will lack it.
Scarice said that is one of the reasons the elementary projects were delayed from the high school and middle school ones.
He said, originally, he thought there was a need for equity across the elementary schools. After more thought, he said the outdoor classrooms didn’t make sense for Long Lots and Coleytown because they will likely be rebuilt or remodeled.
If they ever become viable, he said, it would be part of a much larger project.
Saugatuck Elementary already use courtyard and turf spaces.
“There was no indication that there was interest to do something like this at Saugatuck,” he said.
The Greens Farms project adds to and formalizes its existing space, Scarice said.
“The real energy behind this was Kings Highway,” Scarice said. “There was nothing except for that courtyard space you can see there in the back, and there was a strong push among the parents and PTA to do something there.”
Scarice said children are already outside during the day, such as with lunch and recess. There are currently safety protocols in place, and adults are always supervising. He said the protocols for outdoor learning would be the same, and there are school resource officers through the police department.
“We think they’re very secure,” he said. “We actually walked these with our SRO and school safety officer to make sure that we were in a good place.”