BEDFORD – Saturday marked the unveiling of the Lawrence County Independent Schools’ first, brand-new playground.
At 1 p.m. Saturday, excited students, parents, teachers, and board members gathered to celebrate the ribbon-cutting. Sixty or so people milled about, eating, drinking water in the heat, and chattering about the shiny new playground equipment.
Taylor Sylvester, a 28-year-old who will be joining LCIS as a teaching assistant next year, said she wished she was younger, so she could also experience the new play set. “I’m excited for the kids to enjoy the new playground.”
The ribbon-cutting was held out behind the school at the location of the new playground, and Principal Sarah Daughtry gave a speech celebrating all the people who supported and spearheaded the project despite its hiccups. “Witnessing the unfailing loyalty of the community never fails to amaze me,” she said.
“We dreamed of a playground that would foster their development and ignite their imagination,” said Principal Daughtry of the kids and the finished project.
Lawrence County Independent Schools have only been operating for two school years, and this fall starts their third.
As soon as the ribbon was cut and the opening announced, the trio, along with other kids, flooded onto the new structure.
Construction on the LCIS playground was originally planned to begin last November, but supply complications, grant funding, and weather delayed the opening. Instead, the playground was finally begun in May of 2023 and completed just in the last few months.
“I’m not sure if the kids are more excited or we are more excited for them,” said Melissa Brown, a 4th grade teacher at LCIS. She explained how great it was to finally have a reliable way to let students get their energy out. “We are so excited – You know we’ve tried to keep the kids occupied at school, they really need a place to run and play and swim and slide. We bought them toys and games, but there’s only so much you can do.”
Wendy Ramsey, a 5th and 6th grade teacher of English Language Arts and History, has been teaching at LCIS since its founding, and at the Fayetteville School before it was closed down. Her years teaching total 30, 29 of which were at the LCIS/Fayetteville location.
“I’ve been here since day one – I also taught when it was Fayetteville,” said Ramsey.
Ramsey was pleased to have had a front-row seat from her classroom’s location over the summer to watch the making of the playground. Before the playground, the school had to section off areas for certain activities, such as playing ball, and other activities.
Ramsey was asked by a former student to return to the school when it opened as LCIS, and has been here since. She said she was interested but would need to address pay. The issue was negotiated, and “Here we are!”
Along with Brian Grissom and many others, she is part of the founding group of LCIS.
“I’ve been here since the beginning,” Brain Grissom, first cousin to Gus Grissom, Astronaut said. “I’m on the founding board.”
The LCIS has a strong, family-esque bond, with the community being central in not only their concerns but also the functional nature of the school. Without the support and loyalty of the community, once the Fayetteville school was shut down by BNL, the building would have sat empty for who knows how long.
It was the community and the families who cared about having a high-quality education for their youngsters nearby that really brought the school to life.
Lawrence County Independent Schools (LCIS) is a K-8 public charter school located at 223 Old Farm Road, Bedford, Indiana serving Lawrence County and over 300 students. LCIS was founded in 2020 by passionate parents, community members, and teachers. They are thrilled to blaze the trail and bring school choice to Lawrence County, rising out of what once was to create something new and brilliant like the Phoenix.
