A Safer, Cooler Playground for Bathgate Students
The Issue
https://youtube.com/shorts/V-V1bnBgdgg?feature=share
Petition: A Safer, Cooler Playground for Bathgate Students
The Goal: We are calling on the school administration , district & the City of Mission Viejo to replace the current wood fiber surfacing with Poured-in-Place Rubber and to install Permanent Shade Structures.
Why We Need This Change Now:
Proven Safety: Our current wood fiber (EWF) is inconsistent. When it shifts, it loses its ability to absorb impact. Following a recent injury requiring a hospital visit, the need for a seamless, high-impact Rubber Surface that exceeds ADA standards is urgent.
Heat & UV Protection: The California sun makes equipment dangerously hot and exposes students to intense UV rays. Permanent Shade Structures are a health necessity to prevent heat exhaustion and skin damage.
Accessibility for All: Unlike wood chips, rubber is smooth and level. This ensures every student—including those with mobility challenges or sensory sensitivities—can play independently and safely.
Hygiene & Maintenance: Rubber eliminates the tracking of wood debris into classrooms and homes. It is durable, easy to clean, and stays in place under swings and slides where protection is needed most.
As dedicated California taxpayers, our community contributes substantial tax revenues with the reasonable expectation that our public institutions will provide a secure, high-standard environment for our children. Yet, it is deeply unjust that children spending hours each day exposed to the elements on the school playground are denied the most fundamental necessities: a safe, hazard-free surface and adequate protection from intense weather and heat.
Our students are required to attend school day in and day out, spending precious hours on a playground that falls short of basic safety and comfort standards. This is an even more pressing concern for our vibrant community of special needs and neurodivergent children. For many of these students, sensory hypersensitivity & hyposensitivity make standard environmental stressors exceptionally challenging.
The Ask:
The school administration is open to exploring funding and grants, but they need to see that the parents are united. We need your voice to show that our children’s safety and well-being are our top priorities.
I urge you to sign this petition to advocate for a playground where our kids can play, grow, and learn without worry.
[ ] I support the upgrade to Rubber Surfacing and Permanent Shade.
Name (Printed): _______________________________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________ Date: ______________
Grade(s) of Child(ren): _________________________________________________
220
The Issue
https://youtube.com/shorts/V-V1bnBgdgg?feature=share
Petition: A Safer, Cooler Playground for Bathgate Students
The Goal: We are calling on the school administration , district & the City of Mission Viejo to replace the current wood fiber surfacing with Poured-in-Place Rubber and to install Permanent Shade Structures.
Why We Need This Change Now:
Proven Safety: Our current wood fiber (EWF) is inconsistent. When it shifts, it loses its ability to absorb impact. Following a recent injury requiring a hospital visit, the need for a seamless, high-impact Rubber Surface that exceeds ADA standards is urgent.
Heat & UV Protection: The California sun makes equipment dangerously hot and exposes students to intense UV rays. Permanent Shade Structures are a health necessity to prevent heat exhaustion and skin damage.
Accessibility for All: Unlike wood chips, rubber is smooth and level. This ensures every student—including those with mobility challenges or sensory sensitivities—can play independently and safely.
Hygiene & Maintenance: Rubber eliminates the tracking of wood debris into classrooms and homes. It is durable, easy to clean, and stays in place under swings and slides where protection is needed most.
As dedicated California taxpayers, our community contributes substantial tax revenues with the reasonable expectation that our public institutions will provide a secure, high-standard environment for our children. Yet, it is deeply unjust that children spending hours each day exposed to the elements on the school playground are denied the most fundamental necessities: a safe, hazard-free surface and adequate protection from intense weather and heat.
Our students are required to attend school day in and day out, spending precious hours on a playground that falls short of basic safety and comfort standards. This is an even more pressing concern for our vibrant community of special needs and neurodivergent children. For many of these students, sensory hypersensitivity & hyposensitivity make standard environmental stressors exceptionally challenging.
The Ask:
The school administration is open to exploring funding and grants, but they need to see that the parents are united. We need your voice to show that our children’s safety and well-being are our top priorities.
I urge you to sign this petition to advocate for a playground where our kids can play, grow, and learn without worry.
[ ] I support the upgrade to Rubber Surfacing and Permanent Shade.
Name (Printed): _______________________________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________ Date: ______________
Grade(s) of Child(ren): _________________________________________________
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on May 7, 2026