After an accident involving a student who required surgery because of a sliver he received, White District Schools formed a committee to explore the future of the Kids’ Space wooden playground structure at Shoreline Elementary School.

Whitehall District Schools Superintendent Jerry McDowell, at the school board’s Dec. 17 meeting, gave an update on the progress made in addressing the issues of deteriorating wooden boards which have been producing splinters and injuring children playing on the structure. During school hours, students in the K-2 school use the playground, and Kids’ Space is open to the public during non-school hours.

The issue about the 15,000 square foot playground’s deteriorating condition was recently brought to the attention of the district’s administration and school board.

A mother of a seven-year-old student who required surgery to remove a wooden sliver from the playground, spoke to the school board at its Nov. 17 meeting. Barb Gimenes provided photos showing her son’s injury and the condition of the board on which he was injured. Her son had a three-quarter inch sliver removed from the palm of his hand. She said her son is one of many children who have been injured by wooden slivers while playing on Kids’ Space.

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