Board debates playground surfacing options: wood fiber, painted rubber or turf with wide price range

The board discussed multiple quotes and tradeoffs for replacing elementary playground surfacing and some equipment. Administration reported a quote to put wood fiber over the existing surface would be about $23,000 (not including removal), while painted rubber surfacing was estimated around $54,000 and an artificial‑turf option came in at about $144,000 (another quoted figure was $169,000 from a different vendor).

Speakers emphasized tradeoffs: painted rubber requires replacement or repair in place and can be difficult to patch; turf can be costly but easier to repair after equipment replacement; and discarded ground rubber raises disposal questions. "He said painted rubber, it would run us 54,000," the presenter said when summarizing quotes.

Board members also proposed a redesign that would separate kindergarten/preschool play areas from older grades to shrink the overall surfacing footprint and reduce costs; they asked administration to seek site visits to nearby installations and to provide firm quotes that include removal, installation and disposal costs before returning with a recommendation.