Waller Elementary sets sights on new walking track

Settled on a patch of farmland between Puyallup and Tacoma lies one of the Puyallup School District’s oldest schools, Waller Road Elementary.

The school was built in 1913. Generations and generations of students have attended the school.

“Being an old school, it provides challenges,” said parent and Parent Teacher Organization treasurer Linda Molinari. “The district did a few upgrades for us with landscaping and new carpets. We’re getting things as the district can provide.”

Some of those challenges include an aging play infrastructure and an uneven field for students to play on.

“We have so much unused property here at the school,” said Principal Rick Cox. “We can use the track in PE for the intermediate kids. It will allow the kids to make use of the property.”

The robust PTO at Waller is known for doing what it can to help fund projects for the 315 students who attend the school. The organization has kicked around the idea of building a walking track behind the playground for 12 years, Molinari said.

“The PTO has been wanting to do this for years,” Cox said. “Our PTO does a great job here.”

Being one of the smaller elementary schools in the district, fundraising can often be a challenge for the more than 80 parents who sit on the school’s PTO. Earlier this year, the PTO launched a series of fundraisers ranging from cookie dough sales to carnivals to meet the goal of funding $15,000 toward the $20,000 estimate to build a track.

“We want to exhaust every option we have for fundraising,” Molinari said. “We want to do anything we can do to help students for years to come.”

Since making the announcement to students that the track will be constructed, and should be finished by April 1, students and staff have been patiently waiting for the latest addition to their school.

“They are all so excited,” Molinari said. “Not only will the track benefit the PE curriculum, but it will also provide the students with a space to walk and cool down. It will make the playground safer for students and the community.”

The next fundraiser for the Waller Elementary track, a Holiday Bazaar is slated for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 21) at Waller Road Elementary, 6312 Waller Road East. Molinari says the event will have 50 vendors and food trucks.

“This track will benefit so many,” she said. “The kids at our school are super active.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Waller Elementary sets sights on new walking track."