On June 9, 2021

Killington Elementary School paves over imagination in favor of a parking lot 

Dear Editor,

Kids’ Kingdom is a destination playground. Countless families, including my own, have become acquainted over the years at Kids’ Kingdom. Words that are often heard exclaim joy, admiration, and envy of such an amazingly fun, well built, and creative structure. Upon meeting new friends, my own children proudly proclaim, “This is OUR school.”

It is outrageous that this spectacular playground should be dismantled and replaced by a parking lot; furthermore, the only sports field will be destroyed to be replaced with a play structure that is simple and expensive. Apparently, these changes are for the 3- to 4-year-old students. 

Here’s the problem, in the blink of an eye that 4-year-old is 6, 7, 8…. What about the 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12-year-old students?

Feeling sure that my son was exaggerating or over-reacting to the proposed changes when he came home in tears, I assured him that he must have been mistaken, because it seemed unthinkable that the Kingdom would be paved over and the sports field destroyed, to be replaced with a run-of-the-mill, small, new structure.

The Kids’ Kingdom is a play structure that inspires creativity and imagination. The playground represents the school. It is a statement about our values. It speaks to creativity, outdoor pursuits, and adventure. Our town is a destination for outdoor recreation, why should our school be represented by a parking lot? 

Thank you,

Kate DeFrancesco-Sias, Killington

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Homeless legislation encounters Sturm and Drang

May 7, 2025
A cohort of Vermont’s social service providers has embarked on an editorial campaign challenging the House’s recent legislation that would disrupt the status quo of homeless services funding administration. Angus Chaney, executive director of Rutland’s Homeless Prevention Center (HPC), appears to be the author of the editorial and is joined by about a dozen fellow…

From incarceration to community care: Reinvest in health, justice, common good

May 7, 2025
By Brian Cina Editor’s note: Brian Cina is a VermontState Representative for Chittenden-15. Cina is a clinical social worker with a full-time therapy practice and is a part-time crisis clinician. State-sanctioned punishment and violence perpetuate harm under the guise of accountability, justice, and public safety. Since 2017, Governor Phil Scott has pushed for new prisons…

Tech, nature are out of synch

May 7, 2025
Dear Editor, I have been thinking since Earth Day about modern technology and our environment and how much they are out of touch with each other.  Last summer, my wife and I traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska, for a wedding. While there, we went to the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. It…

Under one roof: Vermont or bust!

May 7, 2025
Dear Editor, We’re heading north and so excited. We’re moving full time to Vermont! For decades we’ve been snow birds, like my parents, spending half the year in Bradenton, Florida. But now our Florida house is up for sale — a 1929 Spanish Mediterranean brimming with beauty and charm. A young family we hope will…