School awards pre-K/daycare playground contract

The Hot Springs County School Board awarded its bid for pre-kindergarten and daycare equipment to Star Playgrounds of Colorado and Wyoming.

“I want to be really clear (about) the reason you’re only seeing one bid,” Hot Springs County School District Business Manager Chauncy Johnson said.

Johnson explained that the state Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) serves as a purchasing conglomerate to pre-vet such bids, “so everything in this has basically been pre-bid, all this pricing has been pre-bid, and this company can provide all the playground assets our pre-K and daycare folks are looking for.”

He added, “That’s the reason you’re seeing just one quote, because it’s already gone through that process. We’ll probably start using that a little bit more frequently in the future, because that bid system is already pre-approved by the state, for use on any pricing that exists on the site.”

Johnson mentioned a quote of $108,000, and elaborated on how the expenditures for this playground are coming largely from a grant the daycare received, through SR funds, “specifically for this type of thing, to enhance outdoor play space,” as well as a grant from the pre-K program.

“I don’t believe there will be any general fund expenditures for this,” Johnson said. “As I get into it further, I’ll update you if there’s a need for that.”

Board Clerk Joe Marinez inquired about the specifications of pouring a 1.75-inch rubber safety surface, as to whether it would simply overlay the existing concrete, without any intermediary material, but Johnson admitted he didn’t have an answer to that question.

“What I can answer is, the specs do fulfill any fall requirements, which is why they’re going to be installing that,” Johnson said. “I don’t believe it was to go over the concrete, but I’m not 100% certain.”

“I’m not positive about that, either,” Martinez said. “I do know the other option they were given was wood chips.”

Martinez also recalled being informed that the playground would be located near enough to the auto shop door for the terrain to be already concrete-covered, and noted his concerns about whether “that was going to create a super-hot surface, and (be) more difficult for snow removal in that play area.”

Johnson conceded to possessing a lack of specifics for that inquiry as well, but reiterated that the playground would meet the fall protection requirements specified for the pre-kindergarten and daycare age ranges.

“This contractor, this is what they do,” Board Chair Sherman Skelton agreed.

When asked if the contractor had examined the site firsthand, Johnson said, “I believe they’ve come and actually spoken with” various school district representatives, and other district officials confirmed the contractor has visited “multiple times, to measure,” while the contractor and the district have traded specs “back and forth, several times,” with edits the district has made, followed by according “additions, changes and corrections” from the contractor.

Among the topics hashed out have been the fall height Johnson mentioned, as well as sun shades and how those can be removed from the playground structure during the winter months, to extend their lifespan and avoid damaging them with heavy snowfall.