Will the mayor cough up $500K for school board rent? News release from city.
Lighthouse students will serve aces at the annual Lighthouse Tennis Tournament today, May 23, 2017 from 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. at Glenwood Tennis Courts, 127 Glenwood Avenue, Bridgeport, CT. This yearly event began over a decade ago in partnership with the United States Tennis Association, (USTA). Designed to introduce children to tennis through the ‘ten and under’ program, USTA has been providing professional development opportunities, equipment, and grants to support tennis opportunities for after school participants.
“Our commitment to giving back to Bridgeport students and children is critical,” said Mayor Ganim. “My administration, as well as a vast majority of the City Council, supports the Lighthouse Programs. Ensuring that students have access to after-school activities should be a focus for all of us. These programs foster growth, provide opportunities, and help kids become well rounded individuals.”
Director of Youth Services and the Lighthouse Program Tammy Papa said, “It’s one more way in which after school plays a critical role in young people’s lives. Many of our children wouldn’t have access to a sport like tennis due to the cost of lessons, equipment, court time and coaching. Through Lighthouse they are exposed to opportunities that can enrich their lives for years to come.”
Today’s tennis tournament includes 256 youth in grades 3-8 from 24 Bridgeport public schools. They will play on the ‘ten and under’ courts in three banks of 8 teams. Each bank will have a first, second and third place team and all children will receive a medallion for their participation. To further encourage an ongoing love for the sport, USTA will also be raffling off four tennis racquets at the end of the day.
What a bunch of bull____.
Although the BBOE needed $15 million to simply maintain existing staff and programs this school year, the Mayor & City Council appropriated ZERO.
Although the BBOE communicated we needed $11.4 million just to maintain all current programming and to bring back our kindergarten paraprofessiinaks, and we requested the City Council appropriate just an additional $3.4 million.
Over the last two years, the BOE requested $14.8 from the Mayor and our City Council and only $386,000 has been appropriated. Any claims by the Mayor and/or the City Council about supporting our students is pure rhetoric and the facts demonstrate otherwise.
Your claims and assertions ring “hollow”.
So let me see if I understand this, providing tennis lessons for some of our students is more important to their future success and well-being than providing them with teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, kindergarten paraprofessionals, interventionists, etc.
How absolutely absurd.
“Last minute” Joe has a solution? For what? Did anyone hear a dollar amount joined to the phrase “Mayor’s support”?
One summer ago there was a last minute $250,000 that the Mayor ‘found’ and distributed. Within the past two weeks another Press Release for $250,000 but it was not from any recent City Council vote. Supposedly it is coming from some funds from the Parks Dept?
There are 21,000 youth in public schools and more than that from other educational institutions. If summer programs are important (and I believe that they are to many families) why is the Mayor so limited in his publicity? So slow to appoint a group of independent and energetic community members to oversee City resources, needs, and financing for youth activities? Does the Mayor really care? Time will tell.