When six neighborhood elementary schools in Oskaloosa, Iowa, combined into one, parents faced a significant challenge—to build a playground, at cost of $600,000, in time for the opening of the new school. Faced with a tight deadline, the Oskaloosa Elementary School PTO found creative ways to raise money and recruit volunteers, as well as strengthen school ties with the community.

Not everyone was happy about the new school. Its construction was funded by a 2 cent sales tax, which residents in the town of 11,000 approved in a contentious vote. And many families were fond of the neighborhood schools, even if they were old and overcrowded. “The community was really kind of divided before,” says PTO President Heidi Jannenga. “This was a way to start bringing people together.”