Followup: District will replace Sanislo Elementary’s blown-up slide

(WSB photo from July 5th)
Three weeks ago, on the day after the 4th of July, we followed up a tip about that slide on the Sanislo Elementary playground, rendered unusable because someone had blown up something right in the middle of it. We’ve been checking with Seattle Public Schools and the Sanislo PTA since then, to find out what would be done about it. First, we learned that the district had removed the blown-up slide, for safety’s sake; whether it would be replaced wasn’t clear – but now, Lynette Jeung from the PTA tells us they have good news:

(Thursday) afternoon, the PTA received an email from our principal, Ernie Seevers, who shared with us that the “district metal shop will fabricate a new slide for us at no cost to the school.” Needless to say, we were thrilled to hear this news! We don’t know yet when the slide would be completed. Of course, we’d love for it to be completed in time for the start of the new school year. That is the next bit of info to find out, but certainly this news was very welcome.

Lynette says they appreciate the community’s support – for a while there, it looked like they might have to consider fundraising to replace the slide, but now it looks like that won’t be necessary.

Jason July 27, 2012 (5:54 pm)

“the district metal shop will fabricate a new slide for us at no cost to the school.”
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Um… isn’t that the way the school district metal shop should be working? Or is there usually a behind-the-scenes “money laundering” operation that goes on where one school district department “charges” another school district department for work?

WSB July 27, 2012 (5:58 pm)

Usually what’s been happening for the past few years is that new playground equipment is not provided by the district – it’s bought through PTA and community fundraisers. (See Gatewood, Lafayette, et al, we have reported on those and others in recent years.) So there was some concern that they’d have to climb that mountain again to get new play equipment – or just go without. – TR

Slider July 27, 2012 (7:07 pm)

Sanislo is lucky the district is ponying up the money for the slide, 8 years or so ago the same thing happened at Lafayette on the 4th of July. It was a plastic slide and the district was really quick to take the slide away and say it was dangerous but they didn’t offer to pay for a new, one because it was bought by the PTA not the district. The PTA ended up footing the bill for a new slide that was just recently replaced again with a new big toy. I wish the district would do a better job of protecting our playgrounds on the 4th so money didn’t have to be spent over and over replacing valuable equipment.

datamuse July 28, 2012 (2:02 pm)

Slider, how exactly is the district supposed to do that?
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Seriously, if you have a suggestion maybe I could use it when my neighbors try to blow up my street again next year.