Conger Elementary School celebrated the completion of a new playground Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the latest improvement to the nearly century-old school.
The new playground was designed with accessibility and inclusion in mind, providing a space where students of all abilities can participate, play and feel a sense of belonging.
Klamath Falls City Schools Executive Director of Operations Daymond Monteith said the playground project began with a $50,000 grant from Klamath County Developmental Disability Services. That initial support helped the district begin developing a playground designed to be accessible to all students.
“A place where every child can feel welcome, participate, play, and feel like they belong,” Monteith said, describing the vision behind the project.
The ceremony concluded with Conger Principal Sara Johnson and KFCS Superintendent Dr. Keith Brown cutting the ribbon to officially unveil the new playground, with members of the KFCS Special Services Department, the superintendent’s cabinet and the KFCS Board of Education also on hand to celebrate the completion.
Monteith credited a number of people and organizations for helping bring the project to completion, including Klamath County Developmental Disability Services and Heidi Gaither, who attended Wednesday’s ceremony.
He also recognized ZCS Engineering & Architecture, including Josh Modin and Josh Boudreau, for designing and engineering the playground. ZCS also worked on the seismic improvements completed as part of the larger project at Conger.
Steven Davidson, a senior associate with ZCS and a professional engineer, was also instrumental in the engineering and design work that helped bring the playground project to completion.
Modoc Contracting served as the general contractor for the work, with Jude Marchessault, the company’s vice president, estimator and senior project executive, among those involved in the project.
Monteith said the new playground surface, which provides a soft, cushioned area beneath the play equipment, was one of the aspects of the project he was most excited about, telling those gathered, “probably what I’m most excited with is what you’re all standing on.”
The playground is only one part of a series of improvements made at Conger in recent years.
Monteith said the district used federal funding received following the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on infrastructure improvements throughout its elementary schools. At Conger, that work included heating and air-conditioning upgrades, bathroom improvements and new LED lighting.
The work represented an investment of approximately $4 million, according to Monteith.
While some of those improvements are less visible to students and families, Monteith said they have an important impact on the school environment, including providing climate-controlled classrooms, improved air quality and updated lighting.
Conger also received approximately $2.5 million through two seismic retrofit grants, according to Monteith. The work brought the 100-year-old building into compliance with current fire and life-safety codes and was designed to improve the building’s ability to withstand an earthquake.
The improvements could also allow Conger to serve the community following a major earthquake, Monteith said, including potentially being used as a shelter.
Monteith also recognized KFCS maintenance staff, including Jared Thompson, for their work overseeing the projects and checking on contractors throughout construction.
Monteith thanked Johnson and her school staff for their patience as construction took place over three summers.
“None of this is possible without a lot of help and support,” Monteith said during Wednesday’s ceremony. “It makes a huge difference for kids when they can come to school every day, and it’s climate controlled, and they have hospital quality air. They are able to play on this playground and enjoy it thoroughly.”
