About

Let us introduce ourselves. 

We are a group of Hudson Elementary school parents who have partnered with the City of Rock Hill to build an enhanced safe and more inclusive playground by applying for the St. Louis County Municipal Park Grant.

For some students, the current playground that is 20+ years old, can feel like a space of exclusion, where differences and limitations are reinforced for children of varying abilities. Building a new space of open, inclusive play with easy-to-navigate surfacing, access from the school to the play space, and a variety of safe, imaginative play features would afford all children in our surrounding community the opportunity to play together with their peers and families.

Here are some quick highlights:

• 2019:  A group of Hudson parents learned about the Grant opportunity and began the project, researching how to achieve this goal and starting up fundraising events.
• Spring 2020: Covid halted all conversations as priorities understandably shifted. 
• Fall 2021: Hudson parents began project work again to raise funds and work with the City of Rock Hill to apply for the Municipal Park Grant. 
• Winter 2021: Summer of 2022: The Hudson PTO Playground Committee worked with the City of Rock Hill and Webster Groves School District to receive a planning grant from the Municipal Park Grant Commission that enabled us to work with a design firm to gather community input, hold public forums and develop high-level budget and design plans.
  • Important to Note:  A land survey to determine final placement and length of ramping and other features will be conducted. Desired equipment and cost to remove/install it will also be reviewed against the available funds as the Hudson PTO plans to raise additional funds to further enrich the refreshed playground experience.
    
• August 2022: The first grant application was submitted, but, in Oct 2022, funding was not approved.
• August 2023: The second grant application was submitted and, in November 2023,  funding was approved!