By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
A combination of local and state funding is helping move forward plans for a new ADA-accessible playground at Community Elementary School.
The project includes a $500,000 borrowing request through the town’s capital plan for the fiscal year 2027 budget, along with a $75,000 state earmark secured by State Rep. Adam Scanlon, D-North Attleborough.
The project would replace the existing 25-year-old playground at Community Field — which recently failed a safety inspection — with a redesigned inclusive play space intended to better serve the community.
For Parks and Recreation Director Steven Carvalho, the project represents both a major investment and a full-circle moment.
“The unique thing is this is the very first project we took on when I came to town 25 years ago,” Carvalho said. “It’s kind of a ‘wow’ moment in my life.”
Located downtown, alongside Community Elementary School and adjacent athletic facilities, Community Field serves a wide range of uses throughout the year, including youth sports, recess, summer camp programming and neighborhood recreation.
“That facility is properly named Community Field because it really is the heartbeat,” Carvalho said. “Baseball, football, the elementary school, summer camp programs — and being downtown, a lot of families visit there and walk there.”
Rather than simply replacing equipment, Carvalho said the town is approaching the project as a broader redesign, intended to better connect the playground with surrounding recreational areas, including the basketball courts, concession stand and picnic space.
Plans include a new pour-in-place rubber safety surface, upgraded picnic areas with a concrete pad, fencing and landscaping improvements and a proposed ADA-compliant ramp providing easier access to nearby athletic fields
“This appropriation is an impactful project,” Carvalho said. “It’s going to positively affect people’s lives every single day.”
Accessibility at the center
Community School Principal Chuck Commeret said concerns about the current playground surfaced almost immediately after he was hired in the fall of 2025.
“From the very beginning, in PTO meetings, people were asking, ‘What’s happening with the playground?’” Commeret said.
He noted that part of the existing structure was damaged during a storm last year when a large tree branch fell onto the playground.
“It’s a 25-year-old playground, so it’s been a few years since it’s been updated,” Commeret said. “There was obviously a high need.”
Commeret said the redesigned space presents an opportunity to address accessibility challenges.
“We’re not a great school for mobility challenges,” he said, noting the school building itself is roughly 100 years old. “Now we have an opportunity with this new space to do it right.”
Officials said proposed features include ADA-compliant pathways and wheelchair-accessible play areas designed to allow children of all abilities to participate more fully. Commeret said the improvements could also benefit grandparents visiting the playground and students recovering from injuries.
“I even think about grandparents that come with their grandkids,” Commeret said. “It’s people that could trip and fall.”
Beyond accessibility, both Carvalho and Commeret said the redesigned playground is intended to encourage outdoor activity and hands-on interaction at a time when many children spend increasing amounts of time on screens.
Interactive climbing structures and activity-based equipment are among the features Carvalho is most excited about, including a new climbing structure he described as “funky” and more interactive than traditional equipment.
“People think of playgrounds as just slides and swings,” Carvalho said. “But something extremely important is kids using their hands and feet to interact because they’re on their phones so much.”
Commeret said the new playground could also support expanded outdoor learning opportunities, such as incorporating phonics and alphabet-based learning features into fencing and activity areas.
Construction timeline
According to Carvalho, the project timeline will largely depend on equipment manufacturing schedules and weather conditions needed for installation of the rubberized playground surface.
He said playground equipment orders typically require a two- to three-month lead time after contracts are signed, with Parks and Recreation staff planning to handle some demolition work and equipment removal to reduce costs.
While the project could potentially be completed this fall if materials arrive quickly and weather conditions cooperate, Carvalho said he expects the playground will most likely be finished by spring 2027.
“I’m very confident to say by next spring the Community School area will have a brand new playground,” Carvalho said.
The work is not expected to affect the town’s summer camp programming, though Carvalho said there may be some temporary impacts to playground access during portions of the school year. Still, the investment is expected to benefit the community for decades to come.
“Playgrounds are one of those things that bring people together,” Carvalho said. “To have it at the schools makes sense because that’s where the kids are, where the families are.”