FAQs

Learn More About The New Playground

View the playground opening video

What is the Bishop Playground Improvement Committee?
The Bishop Playground Improvement Committee is a group of approximately 20 enthusiastic Bishop Parents organized from within PTO who is committed to rebuilding the old “Tire Swing” playground. We hope to create a destination playground and leave a lasting legacy to both the Bishop School and the community at large.
Why did we need a new playground?
We believe there were several reasons. First, the tire swing playground was out of compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) guidelines. That put our children at a higher risk of injury than play areas with more contemporary play structures. The Tire Playground was built in about 1976 which was before the first set of 1984 CPSC guidelines were established.

Second, because of its age and condition, the Tire Playground offered a lower quality and less enriching play experience than more contemporary structures. Bishop is the only elementary school in Arlington that had an older, less modern set of equipment in such a high usage area. Typically, play areas in Arlington are proposed for renewal after 12-15 years. According to the Parks Commission projects list, there are several playgrounds that have been upgraded in a shorter timeframe than the 30 years we have had the Tire Playground in place.

Research clearly shows a correlation between play and learning, and physical play is part of that. By offering our children a better outdoor play experience, one that challenges them but remains safe and conforms to Federal guidelines, we are better able to help them develop their physical talents and have a positive effect on their confidence and self-assuredness.
What was the concept?

Cloud 7
Our concept followed several guidelines we established: To be open so as not to block the view of the field; to be innovative but also keep some traditional elements; to incorporate some educational and science elements; to make a stronger connection between the “Red” playground and the new one we hope to build; and to make the space accessible for children of all abilities.

After several discussions with vendors, amongst ourselves, with others in the town and others in surrounding communities, our concept centered around the use of equipment by a vendor called Goric. This equipment is different from that at other Arlington playgrounds but has been in used in Cambridge, for some time, and Medford, Lexington, as well as several other communities in Massachusetts. This style of equipment is an emerging trend in the US, but is well established in Europe and uses state of the art materials to create a challenging but safe web climbing structure.
What will this cost?
Our estimated costs for equipment, site furnishings, installation (which will not be necessary if we do a community build) are approximately $150,000. This would not include the costs of any sidewalks, trees, or other amenities and we would have to think creatively (i.e. donations!) to see how to include these extras within the $150,000 budget. Other playground upgrades in Arlington have run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. We feel that asking for these types of amounts is unrealistic given the fact that most of our funding will come from the community and businesses, and the Town of Arlington has not committed any funds as of yet.

$150,000 seems like a large amount to spend, why so much?

As we have come to find out, playground equipment is expensive! As a committee, we were surprised at the size of the number, but after further education and discussion with the Parks Commission, we realized that this amount was near the minimum we could spend to make the improvements we envision. We asked for information about past and future playground renovations in town and here are the expensed and budgeted amounts given to us by the Recreation Department:

Park Project	Amount expensed or budgeted
Waldo Playground (built recently)	$220,000
Florence Ave Tot Lot (in budget)	$304,000
Hibbert St. Playground (in budget)	$256,000
Pheasant Ave Playground (in budget)	$361,000

One can see that the numbers are significant for the projects either finished or estimated in the Parks Commission budget. While it's difficult to make a direct comparison without knowing the details of each project, the Bishop Playground is actually below what is typically estimated for a playground renovation.

Why didn’t the Town of Arlington pay for replacing the Tire Playground?
The BPIC met with the Parks and Recreation Department and the School Department, unfortunately Bishop School Playground was never on the department’s list for renovation. The Parks Commission felt they did not have responsibility for the Bishop Playground, and that other park projects they clearly had responsibility for, were a higher priority. The School Department, which most likely does have responsibility for the Tire and Red playground (exact ownership is still fuzzy!), could not make this a priority given the other curriculum, building, and needs within the school system. So, the Tire Playground seems to have “fallen through the cracks”. Due to the Town of Arlington’s fiscal realities, funding from the Town at this point will be very difficult to obtain. The Parks Commission had their budget slashed, and have already committed themselves to funding several other playgrounds.

If we actually receive the planned Parks and Recreation funding in 2012, we can consider renovating the ten year old “red playground” (which, by then, will be fifteen years old) or adding rubber surfacing to the NEW playground space.
Didn’t the Town is spending $180,000 on Bishop already?
Yes, the Parks Commission competed a project in 2007 to improve the Bishop Field but the Bishop Playground is not included..
Couldn’t this money been put to better use within the School System?
We realize that $150,000 is a very significant amount of money, especially when much of it will have to come from the community. We also recognize the very difficult financial situation of the Town and the School Department, which has to cut again this year. First, we cannot use the money raised to fund a new teaching position within the school. This is not allowed by Town policy. Looking ahead, we realize that there is very little chance that the Town or School Department will have excess funds to help replace the Tire Playground. The School Department will most likely always have a competing priority that will win out and therefore, the Tire Playground will remain in its current state. Couple this with the fact that we have a core group of parents who feel passionate about the need, are focused on the goal, have organized to help achieve it, and hope to get the Bishop Community and beyond behind us to make it happen. We hope you feel the same and we are more than happy to discuss our views and plans to help convince others.
How can I give?
There are several ways to give, described in one of the previous questions. If you’d like to give directly, please just make a tax-deductible check out to the Bishop PTO and mail it to:
   BPIC
   P.O. Box 328
   Arlington, MA 02476

You will receive a letter in response acknowledging your tax-deductible donation. For those individuals contributing more than $1000 to the Capital Campaign, you will have the option of having your name listed on a plaque to be installed on the playground.

For more information about how you can help, see the Help Out section of this web site.