Vandalism, Dogs Lead to Marquez Playground Closure This Summer

Vandalism, property damage and pet owners neglecting to clean up after their dogs have prompted Marquez Charter Elementary School officials to close the school’s playground to the public every day this summer.
This closure excludes nonprofit organizations that pay for a permit to use the facilities.
“We have noticed that every time the lower yard is open on weekends there has been some graffiti and equipment broken in other parts of the school [such as the benches],” said Marquez Principal Emily Williams, who noted that some of the bench damage is caused by skateboarders.
In the most recent incident, on May 5, Williams said someone had used the upper courtyard area of the school to stage a makeshift party. This was the main catalyst leading to the weekend closure, she said.
“Ms. [Dawn] Miller, who is our plant manager, arrived to work at about 5 a.m. and was greeted by our entire patio area covered with Bud Light cans, cigarette butts, marijuana paraphernalia; even some benches were moved,” Williams said. “The police also found evidence of them trying to use our electric outlets to have, what we think, could be music.”
The weekend following the May 5 incident, parents witnessed some young men climbing the fence, and faculty found that “some of our computer equipment was compromised,” Williams said, adding that her reluctance to talk about specific incidents is because she wants the “school to be thought of joyfully.”
Williams explained that when Miller has to spend overtime hours to clean up after vandals, “That’s money taken away from our own budget, that’s money we don’t have. We have a very specific list that our parents fundraise for [such as cleaning up after the food truck festival].”
When money budgeted to help with school activities goes instead toward cleaning up after vandalism or residents who fail to clean up their dog’s mess, it ultimately hurts the students here, Williams said.
Dog feces left on the playground not only poses a serious health issue, Williams said, but “if students get [dog poop] on their shoes and they go inside a classroom, then that classroom has to be cleaned up differently. Once again, this is money spent on cleanup that has been budgeted for programs to benefit students.”
After the Sandy Hook shooting deaths last December, “We officially closed for some time because of a district mandate,” Williams said. The yard was reopened again on weekends after this closure “for a little bit, but during spring break we had to close it again. We started seeing more vandalism, such as condoms on door knobs [and people using the bathroom floor as a toilet].”
Williams said that Palisades Patrol provides security for the playground, and during spring break responded to several trespassers on the schoolyard. However, despite the patrol and increased security, the risks of property damage and cleanup costs are not worth keeping the playground open this summer, she said.
Palisades Patrol leases the property to operate after school hours and on weekends as a playground to benefit the neighborhood.
“We are working with the Marquez Knolls Property Owners Association [MKPOA] to try to find a solution,” Williams said. “The issues are not just about security, but about paying for the cleanup.”
“I find Williams to be very community oriented and she really wants to work with the neighborhood,” said MKPOA Vice President Haldis Toppel. “But we know she also has an obligation to protect the facilities.”
Toppel said the MKPOA is working towards finding a solution to the problem.
For many Marquez neighbors, the school’s playground has played an important role in their community. In a letter to Williams obtained by the Palisadian-Post, one parent wrote:
“I am certain that there are generations of children who first learned how to ride a bike, skateboard and scooter and create lasting family memories on the blacktop at Marquez. I would hope to have those experiences and create those memories with my own children. Just this morning, my five-year-old old daughter Kelsey said, ‘Daddy, what did we do to make them close the blacktop?’ to which her little sister Kendall responded, ‘Blacktop!  Blacktop!’…It was heartbreaking. She was so excited at the prospect of us finally returning to our normal weekend routine—Daddy taking the girls to their favorite neighborhood spot, the blacktop, for a morning or afternoon of riding bikes, honing their monkey bar skills or kicking the soccer ball around the field. Please don’t let those experiences fade away to distant memories.”
Many Marquez parents and neighbors, who share the sentiments expressed in that letter, believe that a solution can be found. This could include independently paying for a cleaning service or opening the playground to the public under direct supervision.
“I just want the community to have every confidence in Marquez being a safe school,” Williams said.