A petition to fund Public Land schoolyards for community use

There's a petition in circulation now titled "Fund the Trust for Public Lands Schoolyards" and addressed to Mayor DeBlasio, City Council and NYC Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter.

The petition asks the following: 

We write to you today, as parents, PTA members, and community members ... to urge you to adopt the City Council's recommendation of including funding (approximately $1.8M) to open 23 Trust for Public Land schoolyards to the public during after-school hours, on weekends and on holidays. This investment will open schoolyards across the city ... to the surrounding community, providing vitally needed open space.

Closer to home, several local playgrounds have been closed to the public since early 2020, including behind P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street (pictured above). This playground, featuring a synthetic turf field and painted track, debuted in June 2018 ... and was open to the community after school and on weekends and holidays — just not when in use by P.S. 19 or any of their after-school programs.

Since 1996, the Trust for Public Land has helped revamp playgrounds at New York City public schools through a public-private partnership. Aside from P.S. 19, they've worked on playgrounds in the East Village at P.S. 15 The Roberto Clemente School and the Children’s Workshop School/East Village Community School.

Find the petition here.

H/T Choresh Wald!

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Why the playground at P.S. 19 has been closed for community use 

Making the grade: So long to the sidewalk bridge outside P.S. 19

Workers this week removed the sidewalk bridge and construction netting that had surrounded/covered P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street for what seemed like a long time... Steven shared these photos...

The city approved the sidewalk bridge permit in July 2019 ... for the roof-replacement roof here...

Why the playground at P.S. 19 has been closed for community use

We've heard from several readers in recent weeks who've tried to use the playground behind P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street after school hours. In one case, a custodian told a resident that the space was closed to the public "until further notice."

This playground, featuring a synthetic turf field and painted track, debuted in June 2018 ... and was open to the community after school and on weekends and holidays — just not when in use by P.S. 19 or any of their after-school programs.

Turns out that the school is no longer receiving funds from the Department of Education to cover the costs of staff opening and maintaining the playground during non-school hours and weekends. (Despite the mysterious lack of funding, we're told that custodians were continuing to open the playground in response to "to the community’s love of this space.")

You can learn more about the situation here today from 10 a.m. to noon at the Sirovich Center, 331 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, where reps for the Trust for Public Land will be on hand. They're collecting signatures in support of funding to keep the playground open for community use.

We'll have more about the situation in another post... along with ways that you can possibly help and have your voice heard about the funding.

Since 1996, the Trust for Public Land has helped revamp 200 playgrounds at New York City public schools through a public-private partnership. Aside from P.S. 19, they've worked on playgrounds in the East Village at P.S. 15 The Roberto Clemente School and the Children’s Workshop School/East Village Community School.

H/T Choresh Wald!