ST. IGNATIUS, MT — Local businesses are rallying together to give St. Ignatius Middle School students a major playground upgrade, with crews already hard at work on the $250,000 project.
The play area previously offered little more than a basketball court, leaving students with few options during outdoor time.
(WATCH: Businesses rally for $250,000 playground upgrade at St. Ignatius Middle School)
"There wasn't much here, there wasn't much to do when they came outside," Jensen said.
For parents like Nicole Jensen, whose kids have attended St. Ignatius School since grade school, the transition to middle school wasn't always easy.
"They were getting ready to come to sixth grade and one of their concerns was they were going to miss the playground," Jensen said.
Adam Wood with Mission Lawn and Landscape heard those concerns from teachers, staff and students and decided to take action.
"There was a group of teachers who kinda just wanted something better for the kids, and I agreed let's do it," Wood said.
The new play area will remove visible propane tanks and create new turf with plenty of space for kids to run and play. The project has attracted support from multiple local businesses. Treasure State is donating materials, Wall and Slab will pour and form concrete handling installation, and other businesses will help with propane and electric.
With $250,000 donated to this project, Wood says $35,000 remains to be raised — specifically for the new turf.
"I realized wow this is a huge project but I realized in the back of my mind I got these amazing guys who work in the valley who would support me," Wood said.
"It's all on our own dime, we're looking to raise about 35,000 for the new turf," Wood said.
Wood says you can donate at Valley Bank under the "St. Ignatius School Project" account.
For Jensen, the project is about more than just equipment — it's about recognizing that outdoor play remains essential at every age.
"It's really important for the kids to have outside time. It's hard to see that as they grow up it is not as important, but it is still important to them," Jensen said.
Mission Lawn and Landscape hopes to finish the project by mid-August.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
