Smiles and swings: Larry Miller Intermediate unveils new playground built by community

ZANESVILLE − Larry Miller Intermediate School officials and students celebrated more than just the opening of their new school playground on Wednesday. They celebrated the generosity of community members who made it possible.

The project was spearheaded and designed by principal Eric Harshbarger and the playground came to life in less than a year with help from multiple local donors.

Work began last spring and continued through the summer, wrapping up three weeks into this school year. With generous donations from the Coll family, the Beynon family with Cedar Ridge Behavioral Health, Zemba Bros and the Straker Foundation, the playground is complete, and the students are very excited to use it during recess.

"One recess is super important in the course of a day for a child. Not only the fresh air and the physical activity, but kids get to develop leadership skills and learn how to handle conflict without having an adult be involved," said donor Renee Coll. “So, recess is very important for a child’s development.”

Earlier this year Harshbarger, the Coll family and superintendent Dave Adams began conversing about ideas to bring a positive addition to East Muskingum School district. The previous playground was set on a slope, where if you shot a basketball at one hoop it was 9 feet away. Another hoop was 11 feet away, according to Adams.

The school and donors wanted to make a long-term investment that would stand and positively affect the students as they set plans for the new playground. During a speech on Wednesday, Adams recalled their thought process in the early development stages.

“What can we do that will be impactful for as many students as possible and be lasting?” Adams said.

The playground now stands right outside the side of the school in addition to a new gazebo, a grassy field, basketball courts and swings for children who come through the school to enjoy for a long time in the future

With two levies on the upcoming ballot, the Colls were aware that the school did not have the wiggle room to invest in such a project themselves. Total donations reached more than $350,000 for the project, about $275,000 of which was given to them by Renee and Brian Coll.

About the levy

The East Muskingum Local School District is asking voters to a 5-year 1.3 mill emergency operating levy, with a separate 1 mill renewal in November.

In May 2023, East Muskingum Local Schools had personnel cuts due to an unsuccessful renewal of an operating levy with an increase.

"Just like every household in our area and in the country has seen costs go up for respective things, food and essentials in their life, we are seeing those things from a school perspective," Adams previously told the Times Recorder.

Post COVID the district has seen a 15 to 17 percent increase in utility bills, approaching $500,000 for the district, according to Adams.

The passage of the levies will not mean a tax increase for district residents, as they are fixed dollar amounts.

For more information on the levy, visit https://www.emlevy.com

LVanNiel@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Larry Miller Intermediate unveils new playground built by community