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Q&A
Discussion on aquatics funding and implementation of free swim lessons for second graders
1:17:34
ยท
161 sec
Council Member Julie Menin inquires about the $5 million in new baseline funding for aquatics and lifeguard staff, focusing on the implementation of free swim lessons for all second graders. Commissioner Susan Donoghue explains the expansion of the Swim for Life program and the hiring of new staff to support it.
- The program aims to serve over 5,000 Swim for Life participants in FY '25 and an additional 4,200 in FY '26.
- Menin suggests thinking outside the box and using non-city pools to increase scalability.
- The discussion highlights a partnership with Asphalt Green for swim instruction in Brooklyn.
Julie Menin
1:17:34
Thank you so much, chair.
1:17:35
So just a couple of questions, commissioner.
1:17:37
You mentioned that in your testimony that there will be $5,000,000 in new baseline funding for aquatics and lifeguard staff, and I know the chair asked you some questions about that.
1:17:47
So I just wanted to have a better understanding because as you know, the council passed and the mayor signed my bill to mandate free swim lessons for all second graders.
1:17:55
Yes.
1:17:55
What is happening in terms of the implementation of that mandate?
Susan Donoghue
1:17:59
Yes.
1:18:00
Well, so as you noted council member, and thank you for the question, we were pleased to get the swim safety expansion funding.
1:18:08
You know, in terms of the bill, there needs to be funding to support training all second graders in Learn to Swim.
1:18:17
So with the swim safety expansion funding, it allows us to expand our swim for life program.
1:18:25
It's focused on swim instruction for second graders, and we're able to hire 91 new staff to support this expansion, and they will be, you know, we'll we're gonna be doing this in coordination with DOE.
1:18:40
They're a key factor here and it allows us to expand our aquatic staff and our swim for life programming to DOE schools across the city.
1:18:49
But how many children specifically is this going to cover?
1:18:53
Is this truly a universal program?
1:18:56
It wouldn't be universal based on funding, but I can tell you that we're on track to serve over 5,000 Swim for Life participants in FY '25, and we project we'll be able to serve an additional 4,200 Swim for Life participants in FY '20 '6 through this new swim safety expansion for an anticipated total of 9,200 Swim four Life participants.
Julie Menin
1:19:30
Try to do what the bill was focused on doing, is again to provide the free swim lessons to every second grader.
1:19:36
You know, a partnership that council member Krishnan and I launched, really a public private partnership with Asphalt Green, I think shows that you can think outside of the box.
1:19:45
We don't need to use the city pools.
1:19:47
We can use other pools.
Susan Donoghue
1:19:48
We mapped out I think close to 900 pools across the city that could be utilized, and it's one significant way that we can increase scalability of that program.
1:19:58
We agree.
1:19:59
Thank you.
1:20:00
And we're we're partnering with Asphalt Green using our aquatics instructors for swim instruction in Brooklyn.
1:20:06
We just we're visiting the the young students at that program recently, so we agree it's a great partnership.