PRENTISS COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - Hills Chapel School in Prentiss County is a K-8 school.
There are 530 students here in all.
But that small school setting doesn't mean the community isn't doing big things for the school.
It's been at least thirty years since a new playground went up here.
And school leaders recently went to the community asking for help in buying a new $40,000 playground.
Twenty thousand dollars had to be raised locally and the company would then provide a matching grant.
All kinds of fund raisers have been held.
Physical Education teacher Pam Stroupe said, "We had a 5k/3k race and had 230 runners. With Modern Woodman's help, we raised $5,000 of our $20,000 needed for the playground equipment."
Fund raisers by the PTO and others, along with business and private donations enabled the school to raise the necessary $20,000 in just six months time.
Principal Nickey Marshall said, "I love small schools but sometimes you've got to roll your sleeves up and do things yourself. That's what the people at Hills Chapel have done. It makes you feel very good to see that."
Already a special needs playground is in place with a grant from the Mississippi Department of Education.
And soon all the new will go in, replacing equipment that some of the teachers here say they played on as students.
It's another way to help reduce the childhood obesity problem found throughout the state.
Stroupe said, "We're working really hard here to change that. We're making progress through out Project Fit America and our teachers here. Our new equipment will enhance that further."
