ESCANABA — A local school could have an updated playground for the next school year following the most recent Escanaba School Board meeting. The board unanimously voted to hire Penchura of Brighton, Misc., to update the playground at Lemmer Elementary School.

Escanaba Area Public School Superintendent Dr. Coby Fletcher provided background, saying Lemmer was a comprehensive kindergarten through sixth-grade elementary school before transitioning to a first and second-grade school.

“About seven years back, we realigned our grades. We closed Soo Hill Elementary, and Lemmer became a first and second grade (school). So, the board has been looking at putting playground equipment there that’s a little bit more age-appropriate for first and second-graders. And so we got a proposal from one of the companies we work with on playgrounds,” Fletcher explained.

The work will include installing new equipment and removing older equipment.

“Basically, we’d be looking at pretty much completely redoing our first-grade side and then adding some additional equipment to our second-grade side, which already had some updates,” Fletcher said.

The cost of the project is roughly $350,000.

Fletcher said the school is reaching out to Penchura to see when the work can be scheduled, but he hopes to have it completed by the end of summer, just before the start of a new school year.

The board also approved Fletcher’s third superintendent goal, which deals with implementing new safety information passed by the state. Fletcher said the school is adopting the state’s new model emergency operations plan, which includes an updated reunification plan.

In other business, the board

– Approved new school board policy updates.

– Approved renewing a contract with Healthcare Services Group (HCSG) to continue to provide custodial work. The contract is for three years.

– Approved renewing a contract with Link Learning for alternative education. The contract is for five years

– Approved curriculum changes to sex education to add a presentation from Public Health of Delta and Menominee Counties regarding Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). The presentation will now be presented to all tenth graders.

– Heard a presentation from the maintenance and transportation department.