Princeton's Riverside School PTO To Transform Neglected Courtyard Into Learning Space

PRINCETON, NJ — The parent-teacher organization at Riverside Elementary School is moving forward with plans to transform a largely unused central courtyard into an outdoor learning space, with more than $65,000 earmarked for the project and a design partnership with Rutgers University's Landscape Architecture Department.

The initiative, described by PTO co-presidents Michelle Baxter and Shep Kaufman as a "cornerstone project," was presented at the last board meeting. The courtyard, located at the center of the Riverside School campus, was once home to a turtle garden and pond under a former principal but has fallen into disuse in recent years.

"It is not used at all," said Principal Max Achtau, who has led the school for approximately three years. "There's a lot of debris. It's just not used by staff or students."

Plans developed in partnership with a Princeton parent who directs the Landscape Architecture Department at Rutgers call for clearing non-native vegetation, preserving existing pine trees, and installing raised beds with native plants and pollinator-friendly plantings.

The designs also include tables and chairs for classroom use, a sensory walk, a sensory sandbox, a student-created mural, and nature cameras tied to the school's STEAM curriculum. Three concept designs were presented during the meeting.

School officials and PTO leaders described the space as a "tranquility space" intended primarily for classroom instruction, with particular emphasis on serving students in the school's special education and autism programs.

"This is not a playground," Baxter said. "This is a place that our classes, especially our autism classes, will be able to take advantage of."

The PTO accumulated project funds largely through a pay-to-participate after-school clubs model, which Baxter said has generated significant demand — with many sessions reaching waitlist capacity.

Clubs typically run six to seven weeks per trimester, with fees averaging $150 to $175 depending on the program, though scholarships are available.

The organization now runs three trimester-long club sessions per year. Additional rollover funds from a project that did not move forward last year contributed to the available budget, Kaufman said

Maintenance costs, including ongoing care of the raised-bed plantings and the removal of trees on the site, were identified as key considerations. The district is partnering with the PTO on the project, and officials noted that funding mechanisms for long-term upkeep will need to be established. Tree removal alone was flagged as a significant expense.

Baxter said the project has full support from district administration. "We're not working without the district's complete partnership," she said.

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