Calendar of Events

9/3/2024

We have so much to talk about since our last update!

The playground committee has been working hard to secure funding and have reached $160,000!  This is a huge feat and means we are just over halfway there.  The committee is in discussions with two playground companies and Ms Bell to discuss our options.  

The committee has voted to do the playground in phases and we hope to have more specifics on that within the month.

Please continue to support all our fundraising events; either with volunteering you time, donations or monetary contributions.  We need as many people to help.  Do you have a contact with a company that does outreach and donations?  Please email us at eldersburgelementaryschoolpta@gmail.com

4/30/23

We just completed our annual fundraiser and met our lofty goal of $40,000! Meeting this goal helps us fund our annual budget AND put money into our playground fund.  This is a great start for our push to replace our playground.

There was a small set back with our legislative bond from the state.  We requested $75,000 through Senator Ready's office back in January.  Unfortunately we did not get the money but they encouraged us to apply again this Fall for the next session.  The silver lining is that many other schools in the county did get their requests granted-so I think we have good chances for next year!

The Playground Committee is busy consulting on designs and putting information out to the community.  We also set up an easy link for donations

Do you know of a company that can sponsor our playground?  Do you know of a company that can donate items for our silent auction? Please reach out to me at Joanne.b.mcgarry@gmail.com

Letter to the Community:

Did you know that the average cost of installing an elementary school playground can be over $200,000…And that this expense is NOT paid for by Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS)?

Unfortunately, several of the school playgrounds in our community have recently been condemned – and demolished – with little to no notice. As a result, our parent teacher associations (PTA), local families, and other members of the community have been forced to shoulder the burden. They have faced mounting pressure to raise more money than ever, more quickly than ever…

And with the Eldersburg Elementary School playground now well outside of it’s 20-year warranty, our PTA is hoping to take a proactive role in raising the funds for a new playground –before it is condemned and taken away without warning.

Affectionately known as the “Big Wig,” the Eldersburg Elementary playground is currently 25 years old and it is inspected annually by the CCPS facilities department for structural damage. Until now, we have been fortunate that our diligent facilities department has been able to quickly fix all damage. However, we’ve reached a point where many parts are no longer available – and more drastic measures will almost certainly be necessary in the near future.

We are reaching out to you today to let you know the steps we are currently taking to get in front of this issue.

• So far, we have met with Ms. Bell, the principal at Eldersburg Elementary, as well as Mr.Caine, a representative from CCPS facilities department. They both agree that it is essential we start planning for this issue immediately and they support our efforts wholeheartedly.
• We have also met with River Valley Playgrounds, the company that recently installed the new playground equipment at other Carroll County Public Schools.
• We have submitted our Legislative Bond request with the support of Senator Ready’s office. 
• Finally, we have started to organize several events to help us reach our fundraising goal for the new playground.  We will keep a calendar on this page for you to keep updated.

There is no doubt that school playgrounds are an essential part of our children’s learning and

development – and the Eldersburg Elementary playground is no exception. It has provided decades of entertainment to so many – school students, youth sports program participants, neighbors, and more.

Our hope is that we can replace the playground before it becomes irreparable so we can continue to provide our community with a wonderful, inclusive place for all children to make memories for years to come.

You can track the progress of our playground initiative here on this page.

Also, if you are interested in the different ways you can help us reach our goal, you can add your information here: https://forms.gle/z4WaATjYQEaSQVNj7 .

As always, we appreciate your support!

Sincerely,

The Eldersburg Elementary PTA