NEWARK, NJ — In May 2021, the grants department of the Newark Board of Education submitted a proposal to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to revitalize the football field at Malcolm X Shabazz High School.
In early February, Gov. Phil Murphy, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs notified Newark Public Schools that the district will receive a local recreation improvement grant in the amount of $100,000. The local recreation improvement grant is a competitive grant that supports the improvement and repairs of public recreation facilities including parks, recreation centers and stadiums.
This award will make it possible to completely renovate the existing Malcolm X Shabazz High School football field and track to provide students, families and the community with a safe facility to enjoy sports and extracurricular activities.
Initial preparations are already underway as the Office of Facilities Management has obtained field design proofs to replace the turf on the football field and the track surface surrounding the field.
“This is an exciting win for the Shabazz students, staff, families and entire community. We are grateful to have been selected as recipients of this award and are thrilled about this project, as it is an integral part of the incredible work already underway at Malcolm X Shabazz High School,” Superintendent of Schools Roger León said.
“I am extremely excited about receiving this funding because our students and community in the South Ward deserve a field that is safe and one they can be proud of,” BOE President Dawn Haynes, a Shabazz alumna herself, said.
About the Author
