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<p>EXETER &#8212; Daneen Kerns believes the playground equipment from the Sarah J. Dymond School should stay in the Wyoming Area School District.</p><p>Kerns, a kindergarten teacher in the district, voiced her concerns Tuesday night at the Wyoming Area School District work session.</p><p>At a previous meeting, the board voted to give the Dymond equipment to Wyoming Area Catholic. <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/535745/wyoming-area-school-board-votes-to-close-sarah-j-dymond-elementary" target="_blank">In April 2016, the board decided to close the Harding school</a> and restructure the district for the 2016-2017 school district.</p><p>Kerns said the playground at the kindergarten has a dirt ground which doesn&#8217;t get mulched, and there is no grass growing.</p><p>&#8220;We could absolutely use it,&#8221; Kerns said.</p><p>Board Solicitor Jarrett Ferentino said a company, with manpower and heavy equipment, will be moving the pieces for Wyoming Area Catholic.</p><p>&#8220;The problem was removing it from Dymond,&#8221; board member Gerald Stofko said. &#8220;(Wyoming Area) Catholic will take it out.&#8221;</p><p>Kerns asked if the parents could remove the equipment.</p><p>&#8220;The parents couldn&#8217;t do it,&#8221; Stofko rebuked. &#8220;This is huge.&#8221;</p><p>Stofko and Frank Pugliese, the district&#8217;s facilities director, described that the equipment was &#8220;installed very well&#8221; and the district didn&#8217;t have manpower or hardware to remove the playground&#8217;s pieces.</p><p>Pugliese explained the pieces were put in sonic tubes &#8212; cardboard tubes about 18 to 24 inches in diameter, four to five feet long &#8212; in the ground.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;d have to excavate a very large area,&#8221; Pugliese said, noting there would be potential for the district to break some of the buried parts.</p><p>Stofko said the equipment would be detrimental to a sale of the building if it was kept at the site.</p><p>&#8220;It was not worth it. &#8230; As a board member, I think you should take the figures in my mind,&#8221; Stofko said. &#8220;We didn&#8217;t make a hasty decision.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Up next</p><p>The board will have their regularly scheduled meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday in the secondary school auditorium.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Sarah J. Dymond playground equipment an issue for Wyoming Area