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Parents Raise Money To Overhaul Dangerous Chicago School Playground

(CBS) -- Students fell through holes at a Chicago school playground before parents put up plywood to prevent it from happening again.

The playground at Nixon Elementary School is still open -- despite dozens of injuries. Now parents are taking action, CBS 2's Sandra Torres reports.

From afar, it looks like your typical playground. But once you get close the problems are obvious.

Parents say dozens of children were injured falling through holes in the equipment. Sixth grader Erwin Gonzalez was one of the children hurt.

"I was just walking around, and the next moment I realized is that I just fell through the hole," he says.

He's now left with scars. Two years later, he doesn't understand why kids can still use it.

Adults are also mystified at the continued disrepair.

"CPS has been very helpful, the people have been very helpful," Colin Bird of the Hermosa Neighborhood Association says of Chicago Public Schools. "But what they always say is there's no funding for this."

That's why these parents decided to take action. Thanks to help from the HNA, they got a $100,000 grant to replace the playground. But they still need more funds.

Chicago Public Schools officials say they appreciate the efforts by the parents.

"Due to a broken funding system that provides CPS students with 74 cents for every dollar children in other Districts receive, CPS is severely limited in its ability to fund capital projects. CPS appreciates the work of community groups who are seeking to improve school resources, and we will support those groups however we can," a statement issued Thursday said.

For more information about the fundraising efforts, click here.

 

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