Queens, NY – Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D, WF-Fresh Meadows) attended a kickoff fundraising event at Lexington School for the Deaf where she allocated $150,000 of state funding to contribute to a $4 million renovation of their indoor swimming pool. The 54-year-old pool has been inoperable for ten years due to badly needed repairs and compliance upgrades.

Before its closure, the pool was used by deaf children, local families, and community groups for water safety lessons, lifeguard training, and recreational swimming. The pool played a big role in teaching lifesaving swim lessons and was working to combat drownings which is the second leading cause of death in children.

“The restoration of the Lexington School swimming pool will help ensure that all children in Queens have access to life-saving swim instruction, and create a space for students to thrive in and outside of the classroom. I’m thrilled to have helped provide state funding for this critical investment in our schools.” said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic.

“As a mother, a person with hearing loss, and the Assembly Member for the Lexington School for the Deaf, I prioritize our children’s and community’s safety above all else. I am proud to have allocated $1 million in capital funding to renovate the pool at the Lexington School of the Deaf, which will be open to both their students and the public once completed. Lexington School is committed to training the next generation of lifeguards and ensuring our neighbors have access to swim instruction. I am also deeply grateful to my colleagues for their support in making this project possible. Taking care of our community is a shared responsibility. Today, we are showing up for them and calling on donors to help us reach the final stretch of this capital campaign,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.

“As a Lexington alumnus, I can personally attest to the importance of providing swimming instruction to our deaf students. We are thrilled to have such overwhelming support for the renovation of the pool. I look forward to seeing our students and members of the Queens community swimming in the pool soon," said Seth Bravin, Interim CEO/Superintendent, Lexington Class of ‘91.

Lexington School for the Deaf operates on a 6-acre campus located on 25th Avenue and 75th Street in East Elmhurst. It is the largest school for the deaf in New York State and serves students from preschool to 12th grade throughout the five boroughs and adjacent counties. Additional community investments recently announced by Rozic include a $250,000 allocation for auditorium renovations to P.S.24 and $234,000 for a new playground at P.S.163, both schools are in Flushing; as well as $550,000 for infrastructure enhancements at the Queens Centers for Progress in Jamaica. November marks National Child Safety and Prevention Month.