Carroll Elementary dedicates its Spark Park

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A dedication ceremony for the Carroll Elementary School SPARK Park was held on Wednesday, November 14. Public officials, Aldine ISD (AISD) administrators, the Carroll faculty, staff and students and the Carroll community gathered to officially open the school’s new Spark Park.

Carroll students received a 6th edition SPARK Coloring Book to celebrate the occasion. The Carroll SPARK Park was a cooperative venture of Harris County, Carroll parents and students, and Aldine ISD. The park, designed by Raney McDonough of McDonough Engineering, includes three new pieces of modular play equipment, picnic tables, and benches. Trees for Houston planted 19 trees in and around the park.

The school PTO and community raised more than $9,000 from various fundraising events for their SPARK Park. Other funding for the park included $5,000 from Aldine ISD, $5,000 from the Houston Golf Association, $5,000 from the Airline Improvement District, and $129,854 federal CDBG funds from the Harris County Community Services Department. The contractor was All Play. The park’s entry gate, constructed by Gateman, is decorated with tiles made by the students. Local artist Rose Toro worked with Carroll students on the artwork.

To honor the occasion, State Representative Armando Walle presented a Texas flag to the school, while U.S. Congressman Gene Green’s office presented a United States flag that flew over the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Remarks were delivered by Rep. Walle, Dr. Linda Rodriguez, the Aldine Vertical Superintendent, who delivered remarks on behalf of the district, former Carroll teacher Raquel Longoria, who was one of the main forces behind the school landing a Spark Park, and Kathleen Ownby, executive director of the Spark Park program. Carroll Elementary principal Christina Gomez delivered welcoming remarks and the crowd was entertained by a number of musical performances from the Stovall Middle School Band and the Aldine High School Band.

Ownby, center, cuts the ribbon to officially open Carroll Elementary School’s Spark Park. She is surrounded by AISD administrators, elected officials, special guests as well as by campus staff and students.