Superintendent announces $500,000 grant for inclusive playground; safety plan posted for 30-day public review

The superintendent of Valley Stream Union Free School District 24 reported on district operations and facilities during the July 1 meeting, announcing a $500,000 grant that funded a new sensory and inclusive playground at Carbonaro and provided two water bottle filtration systems for each school building.

"That's thanks to a $500,000 grant from Assemblywoman's Solages, which also provided 2 water bottle filtration systems into each of our school buildings," the superintendent said, noting the district held ribbon-cutting ceremonies and will post more information on its social media pages. The superintendent also said summer school will run July 7–30 with extended hours of five hours per day and that the fiscal year for the 2025–26 school year began July 1. Back-to-school is scheduled for Sept. 3.

Separately, the board discussed the public hearing for the district safety plan and reminded residents that the plan is posted on the district website for a 30-day review period; members were instructed to use the district's policy 9400 procedure to submit public comments and to request comment cards from district clerk Jenny L. Padilla.

No public comments disputing the grant or the summer schedule are recorded in the meeting minutes. The board later moved into executive session to discuss personnel and legal matters.

What happens next: the district will accept public comments on the safety plan during the 30-day posting; administrators will finalize any follow-up actions arising from feedback.