SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Six Yellowknife schools will get $25,000 each to renovate their playgrounds, according to the chair of the public school board last week.

From top left are Camryn Forsbloom, 7, Coryn Francis, 9, and Caleb Francis, 6. In front are Isabella Lewsaw, 6, left, and Liam Lewsaw, 3. These students and their siblings are playing at the N.J. Macpherson playground after school on April 26. This school's playground may be getting some upgrades with the help of a $150,000 fund accessible to all YK1 schools to upgrade playground equipment. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

"With new playground equipment or outside equipment, or things like snowshoes, we can encourage (students) to be active during recess and lunch hour," said Duff Spence, chair of Yellowknife Education District No. 1, on April 21.

The total budget for revamping the playgrounds is $150,000, which Spence said was taken out of a $2.1 million surplus.

"The cost of playground equipment has risen dramatically. We want to help out with those challenges," said Spence.

He said the money is available now, and the schools are invited to pitch a project to the board and access the funds.

"What we're hoping for are short, achievable projects," said Spence.

"Something that makes a difference in the next two years for kids."

Spence said he hopes the schools will use the money as a stepping stone, and fundraise more money to go with it.

"I think we need something where we need to encourage involvement of (Parent Advisory Committees) to raise some funds," he said.

He said this money is to support projects such as the one at N.J. Macpherson school, where Parent Advisory Committee members have been rallying to make the playground accessible for those with disabilities. That kind of money would help out greatly with those efforts, according to Michelle Krause, principal of N.J. Macpherson.

"That's about half the cost of a big piece of (wheelchair accessible) equipment, that would get us halfway there," said Krause.

"I'm really thrilled that they're allocating money to playgrounds."

The school board is also spending $150,000 on a pre-kindergarten program that aims to help kids adjust to the school atmosphere and the concepts of reading and numbers, and $50,000 for a similar program aimed at students entering high school who may need help adjusting to the world of standardized testing and higher learning. Both programs are planned for June through to August.

Spence said some youngsters have trouble adjusting to the school setting.

"We're seeing a larger number of kids who are coming to school who are not prepared for school," he said.

"They haven't been in a situation where they've had to sit around for awhile."

Spence said the students can either put in half or full days, at the behest of their parents, and the program is supposed to be enjoyable for the kids. He added the program aimed at students entering high school is to help them get a better grasp of the math and literacy skills they'll need for high school programs.

Neither program costs the user any money.