A project five years in the making is finally ready to be complete at Kalona Elementary School.The ongoing project started in the fall of 2006, but funding to quickly push it forward kept getting delayed.  But now, after two grants – one from the Washington Wal-Mart and the other from the Iowa City Wal-Mart – for $1,000 have finally allowed the playground to be completed.

Second grade teacher Kerri Bell is a member of the Kalona Elementary Playground Committee.  She says only parts of the project could be finished at a time because of money issues.  She added the committee hopes to receive more funding.  A good sign came for the committee last week, as it received notice to attend tonight’s Washington County Riverboat Foundation Grant Presentation.

Bell says installing a rubberized tile to provide safe surfacing on the playground is the next major item on the committee’s agenda.  That work will start after school dismisses for the summer, and a ribbon cutting ceremony will be part of the back to school festivities in the fall.