AUSTINTOWN — Carmen Pompeii wasn’t clowning around when he helped donate a large sum of money to make the lives of those with special needs better.

“We donated about $10,000 altogether,” Pompeii, who represents the Aut Mori Grotto Clown unit, said.

He was referring to the amount of money the organization has given to help fund a large, all-inclusive and specialized playground at Leonard Kirtz School on Woodridge Drive, which was the site of a special ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon at the school for those who have special needs.

Most recently, the local Aut Mori Grotto Clown unit, which is part of an international organization, donated $3,000 toward the project, Pompeii said.

The playground, estimated at $998,000, includes a variety of sensory components such as colored wheels and marbles on which the students can roll their hands for improved tactile sensation and fine motor skills development, Principal Gina Symsek said.

The space also is equipped with shade structures for students who have any medical conditions that would pose a danger to being susceptible to the sun, she said.

In addition, users, especially those who are nonverbal, have access to communication boards that contain rows of numbers, letters and facial expressions to allow them to point to and better express their emotions. The boards also can be accessed and interacted with in conjunction with providing physical, occupational and speech therapies, Symsek explained, adding that the playground also is equipped to help them improve gross motor skills.

One of the difficulties in assembling the equipment was ensuring it was suitable for a wide age range of students, she said.

“We had to find something to fit ages 5 to 22,” Symsek added.

Original plans called for the playground’s completion in five years, though it was finished a year ahead of schedule and began seeing use in August, she continued.

Like many playgrounds, this one also promises to provide an enjoyable and safe environment for those with any types of challenges to interact with one another in an atmosphere that encourages friendship and inclusion, Symsek said.

Leonard Kirtz School, which has about 52 students, also has sensory-based equipment in a courtyard area that allows for students to decompress, she said, adding that an overarching goal is to offer “the same opportunities anyone else in life would have,” Symsek added.

About $111,500 of the cost was raised via fundraising efforts and outside donations, including $50,000 from Mahoning County commissioners, the principal noted. In addition, during the project’s first year, an allocation of roughly $400,000 came from the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities, she said, adding that during the final year of the work, the MCBDD allocated additional funds to pay the remaining costs.

A slew of other factors were in the mix for the playground project, including forming focus groups of teachers, therapists and others in collaboration with one another. Also considered were color options to aid some students, along with equipment that would help them further develop visual motor abilities, Symsek said.

She also expressed thanks to Brighton, Michigan-based Penchura LLC, a playground equipment supply business, and Landscape Structures for the equipment, as well as handling the project’s layout and design phases.

Other contributors included the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office and Austintown Township trustees.