New playground and gym projects completed at Geneva and Northern Heights elementary schools

Two new inclusive, universal playgrounds were installed in Bellingham Public Schools in summer 2026. The playgrounds at Geneva and Northern Heights elementary schools are now open for use before and after school and for recess during the school day.

Outside of school hours, these playgrounds are open to the public, making them an impactful neighborhood project benefiting the wider community.

The Northern Heights project was funded by the the 2022 bond, while the Geneva playground was funded by a state match grant.

The district now has a total of eight inclusive playgrounds located at the following elementary schools: Alderwood, Carl Cozier, Cordata, Geneva, Northern Heights, Parkview, Silver Beach and  Sunnyland.

As stated on our adopted standards for playgrounds, "all school spaces are learning spaces, and our playgrounds are outdoor classrooms providing critical learning opportunities through play."

In Bellingham Public Schools, we design playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces with universal design. Universal design means that an environment is "usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design."

The Geneva and Northern Heights playgrounds were installed by Northwest Playgrounds of Issaquah, Wash. with equipment designed by Playworld.

To learn more about these inclusive outdoor spaces, view our BPS playground standards.

Alongside the playground installations, both Geneva and Northern Heights (as well as Wade King) also received gym upgrades in summer 2026, with new wood floors to replace carpet, and new sound systems and displays. These school gym improvements were funded by the 2025 facilities maintenance levy.

Reflections on the new playground by Kelly Archer-Balzer, paraeducator at Northern Heights Elementary School

"The new playground is bringing the community so much joy. The kids love it at recess and so many families have been coming after school and on the weekends to enjoy the new "park" as the kids have been calling it. It is a wonderful space with so many features for kids to explore, play with their friends and make new friends. 

My favorite parts of our new playground include the many inclusive features we now have available such as the rubberized surface, our communication boards, toddler area, our spinner that is flush to the ground. We also now have a walkway winding up the hill to make our school garden more accessible as well as the slides that go down the hill.

It's a fun place to play."

View full album of photos