Grant Funding New Playground At Walnut Street School In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Walnut Street Elementary School will be getting a new playground, thanks to a $71,000 grant from the state, the Toms River Regional School District said.

The grant, from the state Department of Community Affairs, will help pay for installation of the new playground, officials said.

The funding is from the Local Recreation Improvement Grant, a competitive program that supports improvement and repair of public recreation facilities including local parks, playgrounds, municipal recreation centers, and local stadiums.

The playground at Walnut Street had become unusable due to irreparable damage it had sustained, and was dismantled and removed from school grounds earlier this year, district officials said.

That left the neighborhood without a public place to play. The school is across the street from several apartment buildings where there are numerous families.

The school's population has the highest rate of eligibility for free and/or reduced meals, "so replacing the playground became a priority," officials said, because its community faces socio-economic challenges.

The new playground is anticipated to be installed this summer in cooperation between the district’s facilities team, MRC Recreation and GameTime, contractors who have considerable experience installing playground projects and handled ones throughout the district as part of the 2019 referendum.

"This is terrific news for our Walnut Street students, who need and deserve a place to play," Superintendent Mike Citta said.