In December 2023, the Knox Education Foundation (KEF) announced the establishment of the Playspace Fund, a private-public fund formed to address the inconsistencies in play spaces across Knox County Schools.
The Knoxville Adaptive Education Center (KAEC) and the Fair Garden Family Center are among the seven schools designated to benefit from Phase 1 of the Playspace Fund, and work is already underway at KAEC.
“I met with KEF and found out that KAEC was chosen to go in this first round of playgrounds,” said Ashley Ketner, KAEC principal. “I got to see the plans that they had for the space, and it was hard for me to not tell anybody for a while because it was pretty exciting.”
Ketner estimated the old playground had been around for 20 years, initially funded by the Friends of KAEC. Now, the space is nearly emptied out, ready for the new installations.
The entire school–staff and students included–are eagerly awaiting the project’s completion, which is estimated to wrap up before the end of the school year.
“It’s just nice to have something nice,” Ketner said. “It’s great that they thought of us for this project, and the staff feels that, too.”
Across town, Fair Garden Family Center is next in the queue for playspace upgrades, and Principal Tara Howell-Spikes expressed her gratitude for the community’s involvement in shaping the vision for the new playground.
“I appreciate all the individuals from the East Knoxville Business and Professional Association who came out to get my feedback on what was age-appropriate for preschoolers and shared my concerns about the playground space our kids had,” Howell-Spikes said. “I’m so glad that the vision is finally becoming a reality.”
Their new space will be finished over the summer. What a great way to kick off the new school year!
The playground renovations at both schools are expected to provide vibrant and safe spaces for students to play, learn, and grow, and the KAEC and Fair Garden communities eagerly anticipate the transformation of their play areas, thanks to the support of the Knox Education Foundation and the Playspace Fund.
The other five schools identified in Phase 1 as the highest-need schools in the district–Belle Morris Elementary, Fountain City Elementary, Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy, Spring Hill Elementary, and West Haven Elementary–will see their new spaces soon as construction moves forward.
KEF continues to raise the remaining $2.3 million in funding needed to standardize play spaces across the county. Learn more about this initiative at knoxed.org/play.