The Oxford School District’s Board of Trustees approved a bid for $721,708 to Great Southern Recreation for playground renovations at Oxford schools.

OSD opened five different bids for five potential projects: a new playground at Oxford Early Childhood Center, a new playground at Central Elementary School and some construction of Bramlett Elementary’s new playground (the Base Bid); new turf at Central Elementary’s Area #1 near the gymnasium (Bid Alternate #1); new turf for the remaining area at Central Elementary (Bid Alternate #2); construction of just the Central Elementary Playground (Bid Alternate #3); and construction of a new Pre-Kindergarten Play Structure for OECC (Bid Alternate #4).

Superintendent Bradley Roberson explained that the new turf at Central was needed so students could have a play area outside the school gymnasium.

“We had that sodded at one time when the project was completed but if you go up and look at Central campus now, it’s bare because the kids have destroyed all of the sod,” he said. “A lot of that was due to the kids being outside because of COVID but it would be nice for them to have an area for them to play.”

Roberson proposed that the board should approve the Base Bid— including the construction of playgrounds at OECC and Central and some of Bramlett’s playground— priced at $414,118, Bid Alternate #1’s new turf at Central priced at $282,192, and Bid Alternate #4’s new Pre-K Play Structure priced at $25,398.

The superintendent asked for the board to not address the other three bids at this time.

“We need to have some more conversation about the Bramlett construction at the June board meeting and I want to make sure we’re being fiscally responsible with all those funds before we move forward,” Roberson said. “ … We will not either accept or reject the other three packages at this time.”

Roberson stated that some of the construction will be completed before the next school year.