Goal #3 – Ensure Health and Safety Through DASNY Bonds
The 4201 Schools Association today advanced the third in a series of requests to legislators to raise awareness, support, and additional funding for the education of New York State children with low-incidence disabilities.
The 4201 Schools provide a specialized learning experience for students who are deaf, blind and severely physically disabled. These private, state-supported schools rely on state funding to provide students with the tools needed to achieve academic, physical, and social success- leading to a lifetime of independence and purpose.
The Association requests the opportunity to engage existing Dormitory Authority authorization for another series of long-term capital projects that would improve the health and safety for all 4201 students and staff.
These important projects involve the upgrade of major systems that serve academic buildings and residential dormitories and are simply too large to be addressed as day-to-day repair, they are capital investments.
“We have campuses with outdated fire alarm, heating, and electrical systems that are simply too costly to continuously repair as many of the parts aren’t even available for purchase anymore,” said Dr. Bernadette Kappen, Chair of the 4201 Schools Association and Executive Director of the New York Institute for Special Education. “We also have schools with outdated elevators that limit the mobility to certain areas of campus for our students with accessibility issues.”
The Association has used a series of integrated advocacy tactics ranging from social media to oversize postcards to highlight the Association’s needs leading up to its 2018 Advocacy Day on February 28 during which students, families, advocates and friends will travel to the Capitol to meet with legislators, and share their rationale for resources as they consider the 2018-19 state budget.