Contact: Shanda Hurla, 785-542-8782, shandahurla@gmail.com
Grand Opening for Eudora Middle School – Outdoor Fitness & Learning Center
Monday, August 20, 2018; Eudora, KS: The Eudora Schools Foundation (ESF) and the Eudora School District are
pleased to announce the grand opening of the Eudora Middle School Outdoor Fitness and Learning Center. The
grand opening will take place on Friday, August 24, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. The community is invited to attend.
The new 5,978 square foot addition includes an outdoor classroom, two small basketball courts, four-square, speed
ladder runs, chess game, and more. The new space will provide the opportunity for Eudora students to achieve
more physical fitness during the school day as well as to help foster a healthier lifestyle. This space will also benefit
the community as a whole by providing an additional outdoor play space located close to several residential housing
areas.
“As Eudora Middle School enrollment has continued to increase, the demand for outdoor space for physical
fitness/physical education class activities, after lunch ‘outdoor time’, outdoor reward time space, and general
outdoor classroom time has skyrocketed,” said Jeremy Thomas, Eudora Middle School (EMS) principal. “Our
students will benefit from many more opportunities to be outside. I cannot thank our community partners and the
Eudora Schools Foundation enough for making this project come to life at EMS.”
The ESF worked with the school district for the past ten months to secure support and funding for this project.
LiveWell Lawrence, the Douglas County Community Foundation, and the Kansas Department of Health and
Environment provided the seed money to begin construction. Hamm, Inc., Pioneer Concrete, LLC., and Full Bright
Sign & Lighting are the primary community partners that donated construction, labor, and supplies to make this
project a reality.
“We are grateful for the resources and support from all of our community partners to invest in our school, but
particularly these area businesses that stepped-up and wanted to donate labor and materials for this project. They
are truly making a difference to support positive health initiatives for our students and their families – they are
outstanding district partners,” said Shanda Hurla, ESF Executive Director.
The Eudora Schools Foundation is a nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) that generates resources, builds relationships,
and champions public education in Eudora Public Schools. Founded in 2006, the Foundation exists to enhance the
quality of education through partnerships with the community. Expenditures are primarily directed toward enhancing
classroom instruction and impacting the broadest number of Eudora students.
Before and After Photo.
