News Boroughwide

In Public Service – September 23, 2019

September 23, 2019 Paula Katinas
Share this:

Treyger secures $2.4 million for P.S. 188

Councilmember Mark Treyger has secured $2.4 million in funding for P.S. 188 in Coney Island, a school that sustained heavy damage during Superstorm Sandy and spent years recovering.

The funds Treyger secured will be used to create a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) suite at the school. The suite will include a hydroponics lab, a science/technology room, an engineering/robotics room, a visual arts room and an upgraded music room.

Subscribe to our newsletters

“I am thrilled to be able to further support P.S. 188’s revival, by investing in cutting edge facilities that will help prepare our students to thrive. This is a school that has suffered from disinvestment historically, and was devastatingly impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Many students and families face serious challenges outside the classroom, and we owe it to them to make sure that P.S. 188 scholars have access to every opportunity,” said Treyger, a Democrat representing Coney Island, Gravesend and parts of Bensonhurst.

Brannan, Gounardes demand answer on school bus problems

Two Bay Ridge lawmakers, state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Councilmember Justin Brannan, are demanding a full audit of the city’s Office of Pupil Transportation in the wake of a series of disturbing incidents involving school buses, including case in which a non-verbal child was dropped off at the wrong school.

The two lawmakers wrote a letter to the Department of Education, urging the agency to take action.

“It’s time to get to the root cause of OPT’s dysfunction,” Gounardes. “Families should not have to be fearful simply getting their children to and from school, particularly the vulnerable population of children with special needs.” 

Brannan said he is outraged. “Navigating New York’s public school system is hard enough. The last thing parents need to worry about is if their child will get to school safely when they travel by school bus,” he said.

Cymbrowitz says subway stations to be made accessible

Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz said he’s pleased that the Sheepshead Bay B/Q and Kings Highway F subway stations in his district are included in the MTA’s 2020-24 Capital Plan for upgrades to make them fully accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Inaccessibility at our train stations is an issue that comes up constantly in my district and for good reason. We have thousands of seniors, people with disabilities and families with babies in strollers who want to get around our city, who want to be fully engaged in the life of the community, and have been deprived of that opportunity simply because they can’t access the local train station,” said Cymbrowitz, a Democrat representing Sheepshead Bay.

Cymbrowitz said he plans to write to MTA President Andy Byford to urge that the Brighton Beach station be included in the plan.


Leave a Comment

Related Articles

Leave a Comment