Background

Funding for school playgrounds can be hard to come by, so creating spaces that will stand the test of time becomes even more important. Over the past two years, Keith Eno and the Maintenance team at Berkeley County Schools completed a comprehensive review of the district’s playgrounds and identified significant room for improvement.

When the district received funding for three new playgrounds, including Goose Creek and Sangaree Elementary, they invited manufacturers to bid and present designs for these schools. Utilizing the South Carolina school and state purchasing contracts helped create a straightforward purchasing process while ensuring they received the best value for the school system’s investment. 

The Design Process

Coming from a Parks and Recreation background, Keith was familiar with attending conferences, talking with multiple manufacturers, and identifying new equipment trends in the exhibit hall. He used this experience and vision to select new equipment for the schools to minimize future maintenance costs.

Longevity and ease of maintenance were at the forefront of the design process, which aligned with Barrs Recreation and Burke’s long-standing product and industry-leading warranties. Members of the maintenance team, Tommy Browder, Kenneth Stutler, Robert Matthews, Ashley Bennett, and Christy Davis participated in design meetings with Barrs Representative Johnny Davis to share insights on what would and would not work for the district. 

The design proposed by Barrs Recreation required minimal revisions from the initial concept to the finalized plan. Changes included swapping a RopeVenture Epic climber for a Rockit climber and adding additional shade throughout the site. Inclusion and a variety of play experiences were central to the district’s goals for each space, and one of the few specific design requirements was that every proposed design include a roller slide to support students with cochlear implants.

The Equipment

The maintenance staff preferred not to use engineered wood fiber as surfacing for the new playground, so turf surfacing was selected to complement the sandy soil conditions. Music elements, STEM play features, and the MOVMNT Extreme all add to the inclusive and educational nature of the playspace. Shade is integrated over friendship benches and the swing set adjoining the playground.

Installation wrapped up in March of 2026, ensuring that students had all of the fourth quarter to enjoy the new playspace. To celebrate and share the improvements, Principal Dr. Kellie Gebhardt hosted a Grand Opening Celebration honoring students and families who had achieved perfect attendance that year. This dedication by these students was rewarded by being the first to play on the new equipment! Our team looks forward to supporting many years of recess to come at Goose Creek Elementary!