Knox Education Foundation (KEF) held a ribbon cutting Thursday, August 22, to celebrate Belle Morris Elementary School’s new play spaces, funded by the KEF Playspace Fund.
The event at Belle Morris Elementary School on Washington Pike marked the realization of Phase 1 of the Playspace Fund initiative, during which more than $2 million has been raised and pledged to date to support the renovation of 11 playgrounds at seven schools.
New Belle Morris play space
“We are excited to celebrate this achievement, made possible by the support and generosity of the community,” said Mike Taylor, CEO of Knox Education Foundation. “Our goal is to work as champions for public education, help extend district resources and help all students have access to play spaces that make instruction more successful.”
All seven schools in Phase 1 started the 2024-25 school year with new play spaces: Belle Morris, Fair Garden Early Learning Center, Knoxville Adaptive Education Center, Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy, Fountain City, Spring Hill and West Haven elementary schools. These schools were identified as the highest need in the district and designated for support from the Playspace Fund.
To learn more about the Playspace Fund and the generous donors who made the initiative a success, visit here.
About Knox Education Foundation
The mission of the Knox Education Foundation is to be a catalyst for transforming public education to achieve excellent outcomes for all students. KEF is dedicated to investing in and advocating for innovative strategies, partnerships and initiatives that strengthen academic achievement and help students reach their full potential. This is accomplished by convening experts, leveraging data and highlighting the obstacles to educational outcomes while also identifying solutions to support priorities for Knox County Schools. For more information visit here.
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