Capital Levy Delivers: Karshner Students to Benefit from Modernized Play and Learning Areas

Significant improvements are coming to Karshner Elementary this summer—transforming outdated, deteriorating spaces into safe, inclusive, and modern play areas. Thanks to the voter-approved 2024 Capital Levy, students will soon enjoy a fully updated playground that prioritizes health, safety, and accessibility. 

The current playground equipment, which is well past its prime, will be removed and replaced with new, inclusive structures that promote active and imaginative play for all ages and abilities. The wood chip surfacing will also be replaced with a synthetic turf fall-protection system that meets ADA standards, making the area accessible for students who use wheelchairs and mobility devices. 

But the upgrades don’t stop at the playground. 

The existing hard surface play area—now cracking and crumbling—will be overlaid entirely and repaved. Approximately 31,000 square feet of blacktop will be resurfaced, providing students with a smoother and safer surface for games and outdoor learning. Around the perimeter of the field, a new five-foot-wide paved walking path will replace the outdated red cinder track, which currently limits year-round use due to poor drainage and weather conditions. 

Additional improvements include a new accessibility ramp for safe egress from the portables, along with minor but important fencing enhancements to improve overall safety and supervision. 

While these may sound like simple upgrades, they will make a profound difference—supporting safe physical activity, increasing access and inclusion, and breathing new life into underused spaces. This is exactly the type of project the Capital Levy was designed to fund: practical, high-impact investments that directly benefit students. 

For a full list of 2024 Capital Levy projects, visit our website at http://www.puyallupsd.org/levy