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The following message is from ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú International Center and Dual Language Program Principal Rachel Stead. You also can :

Dear Families:

As we begin the new school year, I would like to provide you with an update on the planning for a new playground area for our students. 

The plot of land across Lark Street from our school no longer is an option for a safe play area due to the instability of the brick wall on the home adjacent to that property. A fire in that building in the spring further destabilized the structure, and the City of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú has been unable to work with the landlord to make the necessary repairs.

In light of that, you may recall that when voters approved the purchase of that property in May 2022, they also approved the purchase of a parcel of land behind our school on 2nd Street. We are now moving forward with that space as the new location for our playground. 

We cleared trees from that property during the summer, and early in this new school year the district will have a contractor clear debris, level the land and plant grass. We also will install a new fence around the entire space, stretching from 2nd Street to 3rd Street, to create a safe play area behind our building. 

We will reconvene our building Playground Committee early in the new year to develop a revised playground proposal for the 2nd Street parcel to present to the Board of Education. I would welcome 5-6 volunteers to participate on this committee as we update our original vision for this area. If you would like to volunteer for the committee, please email me at rstead@albany.k12.ny.us. 

Once the board has approved our new proposal, the district will submit those plans to the State Education Department for review and approval. 

The district has budgeted funds for the construction of this new playground. Once we have finished the State Ed approval process, we will be ready to move forward with the project. Our best estimate of that timeline at this point is that we may be ready to begin construction in the spring. 

We all are eager to have a new playground in place for our students, and I know this additional delay is frustrating for our school community. I have appreciated your patience and partnership throughout this process, and I ask for your support once again as we restart it. 

There are necessary steps that schools must follow to build safe, appropriate play areas for students. 

While these important steps take time, I know they will be worth it in the end!

We are looking forward to having Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Joseph Karas join us at our Sept. 20 PTA meeting to discuss the process and answer your questions. I also will continue to keep you up to date as the project moves forward.

If you have any further questions about the playground process, please contact me at (518) 475-6600 or rstead@albany.k12.ny.us.