North Shore School District 112 is moving ahead with a series of playground redesigns, including at Oak Terrace Elementary School, which had faced criticism from some district parents over its outdoor play spaces during last year’s consolidation controversy.
Sherwood Elementary School will be the first to see a redesign, with construction expected to begin in April, according to a district representative. The estimated cost is about $382,000, according to meeting documents.
The Oak Terrace playground will be presented for board approval at an upcoming April meeting, with the start of construction planned for the end of the school year in June. The estimated cost is about $522,000, according to meeting documents.
While the redesign is part of a broader district effort, it does seem to inadvertently address an issue from last year, when the district grappled with consolidating its dual language program from Red Oak into Oak Terrace as the district’s program decreased enrollment. During several board meetings over several months, some frustrated parents raised concerns about crowding at Oak Terrace, including with its outdoor play area.
Both playgrounds are expected to be ready for the 2026-27 school year, and the district also plans to bring similar playground improvements to other schools.
D112 Deputy Superintendent Monica Schroeder, who has been overseeing the playground projects, emphasized the importance of playing outdoors for kids. The playgrounds will be spaces where students “feel welcome,” with universal accessibility and designs aimed at including more children. They will also be open to families outside of the school day, she said.
“We want them to feel like places where students and families belong,” Schroeder said.
Accessible playgrounds have already been installed at both Braeside and Ravinia elementary schools, which were part of an extensive renovation campaign by the district in recent years.
According to a presentation to the school board, Sherwood’s new playground will be about 4,000 square feet, with a capacity for just over 160 students. Oak Terrace’s playground will have a capacity of almost 300 students, according to last month’s presentation.
Both projects include community feedback during the design process, with a call for more swings, monkey bars and slides, as well as shaded spots and areas for reading. Wood chips seem to have proven unpopular.
Oak Terrace’s plans include nods to some local student-inspired designs, who gave their own dreams of an ideal playground, rendered in marker and pencil. The completed plans include a hammock-esque swing, based on a drawing one student made of a hammock stretched between two fake palm trees.
