The College Park City Council approved a $50,000 grant Tuesday to help Monarch Preschool build a new playground.
The playground at the preschool has been awaiting construction since 2021, the preschool’s director Krissie Taylor said at Tuesday’s College Park City Council meeting. The grant will help the school purchase and construct new equipment.
Taylor said the difference between the inside and outside of the school is “night and day” and that there is caution tape outside of the building, she said.
“We have a state of the art program inside,” Taylor said. “Then when you go outside, you have construction.”
The preschool has all of the necessary permits, according to Taylor. The council’s approval of the grant was the final step before the playground’s construction can begin, she said.
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City documents state that physical activity plays an important role in not only physical health, but also in learning and mental health. A new playground would improve students’ academic, social and physical lives, the documents read.
District 1 council member Jacob Hernandez said Monarch Preschool is “more than just a preschool.” The school takes care of children, educates them and teaches them social skills while prioritizing College Park families, he said.
Hernandez said the school has been willing to explore ways to get more children from College Park to enroll. Only 24 of the 50 families enrolled at the preschool are College Park residents, according to Michael Williams, the city’s economic development director.
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Staff are exploring incentives to encourage more College Park families to join, Lizbeth Herrera, the preschool’s assistant program director, told the council.
The school plans to hold sessions for College Park community members to visit, such as storytimes for parents and festivals, Herrera said.
Hernandez said the council’s decision to approve the grant is “putting our money where our mouth is” by giving the children the ability to both learn and take a break to play outside.
“Knowing that this will be invested in the children’s well being and just abilities to go outside and socialize — to me that means everything,” Hernandez said.
