Representatives from Council Member Joann Ariola’s (D-32) office presented an $8.7 million check to the students and staff at a local school in Ozone Park on Wednesday, November 13.
The representatives held the event at the Robert Goddard Educational Campus in Ozone Park, located at 138-30 Lafayette St. The majority of the funding—$8.45 million—will go towards the complete renovation of the Rocket Park playground and schoolyard, with the rest allocated to technology upgrades and a new phone system.
The campus hosts two schools—a middle school/junior high school and a high school. According to the NYC Parks Department website, the Rocket Playground reconstruction is projected to start in December 2024 and be completed by March 2026.
Ariola said in a statement that she “made good” on her promise to improve the quality of education in her district when she was first elected. “Through this funding, and funding like it for other schools throughout the district, I am making good on that promise. Our students and families deserve to have modern, engaging facilities, and that is exactly what I plan to deliver for them,” she said.
Dr. Joseph Birgelles, Principal of the Robert H. Goddard High School, said receiving the funding was years in the making. According to Birgelles, he and William Fitzgerald, principal of the middle school, were longtime advocates for the renovations. “I know myself and Principal William Fitzgerald have been dedicated to having this schoolyard and Rocket Park renovated, so it can be something that will be a magnet to the community – something we can be proud of and a place where people can come not only to exercise but to relax and reboot from a stressful day,” Birgelles said in a statement.
Birgelles continued, thanking Ariola for the advocacy, adding that the campus has tried to get funding in the past; however, their efforts “ always fell on deaf ears.” “We are so grateful and appreciative of her dedication to the Ozone Park community, to District 32, and to the Robert H. Goddard Educational Campus,” Birgelles said.
Dr. Josephine Van-Ess, New York City Department of Education’s Superintendent for Queens South High Schools, also thanked Ariola’s office for the funding injection. “We are grateful for that because athletics are so important. Students being able to get outside and be in an environment that is modern and conducive to play is critically important, and this investment will help to support not only our current students but students to come as well. This is an investment not only in the school but also the community around us.”
