Amityville Secures Largest State Grant in School History

The Amityville Public School District is proud to announce that it has received a $4.3 million state grant that will benefit both students and their families. The 21st Century Learning Center Communities grant will allow the district to better address the educational needs of students at Park Avenue Elementary School and Edmund W. Miles Middle School, and also aims to assist families with limited or no English speaking skills.
Obtaining the grant was a competitive process; the district hired grant writer Cathy Taldone, who was instrumental in working with the Amityville staff to compile the information necessary to complete the application. “Everyone worked cooperatively and diligently to gather the statistics and identify the needs within our community,” stated Superintendent of Schools Dr. John R. Williams. “We couldn’t be more pleased that we were able to obtain this grant for the benefit of our students and families.”
Grant funds will be used to provide the most expansive after-school program in the history of the district. “This is going to be a very comprehensive program with a lot of adult education opportunities,” stated Dr. Williams. The district is in the process of hiring a project director to organize and run the program, which they hope to have in place this fall. The after-school program will provide three hours of learning and enrichment for students, five days a week. Additionally, a two-hour evening program and a few morning programs for parents and guardians will be available through the grant.
The district will be partnering with multiple community organizations, including the United North Amityville Youth Organization (UNAYO) and Adelante, both of which will provide case managers and bilingual programs. The Long Island Educational Opportunity Center at Farmingdale State College is also on board and, will incorporate into the Amityville program generational literacy and life skills extension courses for students and families. “We are hoping to get as many students and families involved as possible,” stated Dr. Williams. Amityville was among only 60 schools statewide – three of them on Long Island – to be approved for the multi-million dollar grant.