Students, faculty begin installation on new Brown County Middle School playground

MOUNT STERLING, Ill. (WGEM) - Brown County Middle School students will have something new for recess when school resumes.

Students and faculty came together Friday morning to begin the installation of a brand new playground behind the middle school. The playground will have slides, a rock wall and swing sets.

While it’s for the middle school students to enjoy during recess, it will also be open to the community.

Brown County District Superintendent Lan Eberle said using a portion of the $1 million they received from COVID relief funds, they were able to install this playground.

“Not only can students use it during the day, during recess time, (and) at lunch,” Eberle said. “But, (they can use it) before school, after school, during baseball softball games and its just open to the community.”

Eberle said they will use the money for other future projects.

“I’m not sure about this year, but we’re going to put in a basketball court as well with our funds,” Eberle said.

Eberle said rather than having contractors come in to install the playground, he wanted students and faculty to come together and work on it. On Friday morning, some of the football team were working together on it.

Brown County High School junior Layden Volk said he was taking this volunteer experience as an opportunity to do team building ahead of next season.

“I definitely feel like I’m having more fun than work, definitely, since it’s not as hot out either,” Volk said.

Volk said this new playground installation will bring a lot to the kids in Brown County and for middle school students to keep themselves active during recess.

“Whenever they’re in middle school they feel like they have to step up,” Volk said. “So they still get to be kids, but this is still a way to let them know that it’s okay to have fun.

Eberle said they will continue installing the playground all day on Saturday and they hope to have it wrapped up by the end of the day.

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