Sept. 25, 2011 Staff Report
Earlier this year, the P.S. 150 after-school program appeared to be on its last legs—as the city, struggling to cope with the budget crisis, planned to stop funding the free program.
In response, concerned parents and children from the Sunnyside elementary school took to the streets waving signs and chanted “Save our after-school.” Furthermore, politicians said they would fight for its survival.
In June, much to many people’s relief, funding for the program was restored when the city budget was passed.
On Thursday, councilman Jimmy Van Bramer attended the first P.S.150 PTA meeting of the fall to celebrate the restoration of funding for the after-school program. The program offers children tutoring services, as well as the opportunity to participate in art, drama and dance.
Many teachers and parents credited Van Bramer for its survival, arguing that he was instrumental in restoring $296,000 for the program, which is run by Sunnyside Community Services.
In addition, parents and teachers were pleased by the news that the city had pumped $50,000 into the school’s computer lab—on top of the $50,000 in 2010. These funds, secured by Van Bramer, are being used to upgrade hardware, including a fleet of new desktops for the computer lab and smart boards in almost half of the school’s classes.
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2 Comments
Way to go, JVB and Sunnyside parents!
Good news for once.