Back to the Ballot: Support Puma Playfield on February 11
By Yordanos Tesfazion
Next month, Seattle has the chance to vote in favor of two school levies – Proposition 1: Renewal of the Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy and Proposition 2: Renewal of the Building Excellence VI (BEX VI) Capital Levy. Voting YES on Proposition 2: BEX VI will support our partner’s project, Puma Playfield at Concord International Elementary School.
The BEX VI levy will continue to fund safety and security, energy efficiency projects, construction or renovation at five schools in the Seattle School District, including Concord International Elementary School in South Park. Your vote to pass Proposition 2 will help Concord secure the remaining funds needed to complete their campaign project to renovate Puma Playfield.
For the past eight years, Concord’s Parent and Teacher Association (PTA) have worked to transform the space around the school into a community asset. In partnership with Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and with funding from the City of Seattle, King County and private donors, they have renovated Concord’s main entry, created a community plaza and pollinator pathway, installed an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramp, planted flowers and trees on campus and developed bilingual curriculum to support teachers use of these new spaces. After nearly a decade of advocacy, they need Seattle voters to show up for the South Park community and vote YES on Proposition 2 in February.
The funding to renovate Puma Playfield will turn the underutilized existing field into a communal outdoor space for Concord students and other South Park residents – free of charge and outside school hours. Out of the 400+ students who attend Concord, 86 percent are people of color and 68 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Additionally, South Park has a higher proportion of children than other Seattle neighborhoods. To best address the needs of South Park residents, Concord’s PTA coordinated community meetings to ensure that Puma Playfield’s final design would meet their specific needs.
There are very few public spaces, let alone outdoor public spaces in South Park. In fact, residents have an average of only 40 square feet of accessible open space, while the city-wide average is 397 feet. The absence of open spaces in the neighborhood highlights how environmental and economic injustices manifest in underserved communities.
When folks don’t have access to open green spaces, their physical and mental health are put at risk. Several studies show that spending time outdoors helps improve cardiovascular health, counter anxiety and depression, and sharpen cognition and memory skills. The undeniable link between access to green spaces and health is why Concord students and South Park residents need Puma Playfield.
To learn more about Proposition 2, you can attend one of four regional community meetings taking place this month. These in-person meetings offer a chance to ask questions, hear details, and learn how the levies fund Seattle Public Schools. Interpretation services will be available at all meetings.
Levy informational meetings (all meetings are 6:30-7:30 PM):
- Jan. 13 at Wing Luke Elementary, 3701 S Kenyon St, Seattle
- Jan. 14 at Viewlands Elementary, 10525 3rd Ave NW, Seattle
- Jan. 16 at Kimball Elementary, 3200 23rd Ave S, Seattle
- Jan. 21 at Olympic Hills Elementary, 13018 20th Ave NE
For more information including meeting updates and levy details, visit the SPS website at www.seattleschools.org/levies.