By Jessica Able, Record Staff Writer

Students at Immaculata Classical Academy will soon have a new place to play at the school on Preston Highway.

All Louisville-area Knights of Columbus councils have pledged to raise the necessary funds in order to provide a playground for Immaculata students, some of whom have special needs.

Mike Saylor, grand knight of the Knights of Columbus Council #15979 at St. Margaret Mary Church, said the Knights of Columbus have a long history of collaborating with Immaculata.

“We love helping special-needs kids. We saw the opportunity and jumped on it,” he said.

Saylor also noted the Knights of Columbus will donate their time to complete the project.

“Equipment operators will donate the use of equipment and we will donate labor to install it,” he said.

Immaculata, an independent Catholic school located on the Guardian Angels Church campus in the former school building, educates children in prekindergarten through 12th grade. The school integrates students with special needs into classrooms with typical-needs children, including studentsborn with Down, Asperger and Prader-Willi syndromes. Approximately 15-20 percent of the student body’s 175 students has special needs.

The playground will be located in the rear of the school building on the old football field and is expected to cost $55,000. It will cover about 4,800 square feet and will include swings, slides and climbing equipment. Currently the school has no outside play structure.

The Knights will host several fundraisers this spring and summer to fund the project. One of those is a “Mother’s Day Evening Out” on May 14 at the Village Anchor Restaurant in Anchorage, Ky. The restaurant will donate up to 10 percent of purchases. Reservations are required and diners must mention the Immaculata project.

The playground is expected to be completed by the opening of school this fall.

Donations for the project can be sent to Immaculata Classical Academy, Attn: Playground Project, 6010 Preston Highway, Louisville, Ky., 40219.