Issues persist at school playground

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BEACON FALLS — School officials have started locking the gate to the playground at Laurel Ledge Elementary School again after a child fell from the playscape, which officials believe someone vandalized.

Region 16 Superintendent of School Michael Yamin said a student was climbing a ladder to the playscape Aug. 28 and fell after he grabbed a handle that was broken. The student suffered minor injuries and will be fine, Yamin said.

Officials in Region 16, which oversees public schools in Beacon Falls and Prospect, have dealt with incidents of minor vandalism and loitering at the playground for years. They have repeatedly locked the gate for a period of time, then reopened it so the community can use the playground.

Yamin said officials had been leaving the gate to the playground area open before the incident on Aug. 28. He said the gate will be locked daily after school, and the district plans to install security cameras in the area.