New Playgrounds for East Cobb Schools

A contract to replace playgrounds at three East Cobb elementary schools has been approved by the Cobb Board of Education.

The school board voted last Thursday to approve a $695,000 bid by Macon Construction Co. of Tampa for new playgrounds and surfacing projects at Murdock Elementary, Timber Ridge Elementary and Mt. Bethel Elementary. The work will be paid for with current SPLOST III cotningency funding.

The project, which includes new playgrounds at Ford Elementary School in Acworth and Harmony Leland Elementary School in Mableton, came in at 58 percent over its initial $440,000 budget. 

Chris Ragsdale, the Cobb County School district's deputy superintendent for operational support, told school board members the additional costs were largely due to the schools having different student-based needs to make the playgrounds compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The board vote was 5-2, with Kathleen Angelucci of Northeast Cobb and Tim Stultz of Smyrna opposed because of the cost overrun.

Also Thursday, the board made unanimous votes on the following projects involving East Cobb schools:

• Approving a $420,000 bid to Reliant Construction Inc. of Alpharetta for modifications at Mt. Bethel, including plumbing work, the addition of fire sprinklers, lamp and lighting replacements, flooring replacements and painting work. The money comes from budgeted SPLOST III funds.

• Approving an inter-local government agreement and to grant a temporary easement to the Cobb Department of Transportation for driveway access and safety improvements at the entrance of East Side Elementary School. The Cobb County Government SPLOST-funded project on Indian Hills Parkway will include new sidewalks, crosswalks and curbing and will take place this summer.