East Elmhurst, NY – Today, during National Child Safety and Protection Month, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas joined the Lexington School for the Deaf administration, staff, students, and other lawmakers to kick off a capital campaign to renovate an indoor swimming pool in the facility. Other lawmakers that were present included State Senator Michael Gianaris, Assembly Members Andrew Hevesi, Nily Rozic, Catalina Cruz, and Sam Berger. A representative from Assembly Member Steve Raga’s office attended as well. Assembly Member González-Rojas represents the Lexington School for the Deaf and has allocated $1 million in capital funding toward the renovation.

The other lawmakers including State Senator Toby Ann Stavsiky and Assembly Member Ed Braunstein contributed towards the completion of the project as well. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation contributed $500,000 towards the project.

The Lexington School for the Deaf, founded in 1864, is one of eleven state-supported 4201 Schools for students with low-incidence disabilities. The school serves approximately 210 profoundly deaf students in preschool through 12th grade and 37 families in its deaf infant parent program.

The swimming pool, measuring 28’ x 60’ x 10’, was used by both the school and the local Queens community from 1968 until its closure in 2014 due to mechanical failures. The pool was used to teach water safety and swimming to deaf students and was available to the local community for instruction and recreational swimming. The capital campaign is meant to collect funding to renovate the 55-year-old swimming pool. The repairs will achieve ADA-compliance.

The campaign comes at a time when New York City saw the highest number of drownings at city beaches since 2019. Drawing is the second leading cause of death for children and 1 out of 3 Black and Asian students and 1 out of four Latino students in New York City cannot swim. According to a City Council analysis, many communities lack access to swimming and water activity programs, with more than 3 million New Yorkers living in City Council districts without a single public pool.

The school hopes to secure the rest of the funding necessary by June 2025 and to open the swimming pool by November 2026.

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“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. Every drowning is a tragic and preventable loss. We must do more to teach children and our neighbors how to swim safely and ensure there are enough lifeguards at our beaches and public pools.

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.” - Seth Bravin, Interim CEO/Superintendent, Lexington Class of ‘91

“Congratulations to Lexington School and Center for the Deaf on the kick-off to bring back online their pool! Swim Strong Foundation thanks school leadership for being a role model in the city by partnering with CBOs to share this living classroom so that more people will gain the aquatic knowledge and skills to navigate a much more watery world that climate action is bringing to us. Thank you to Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas for her leadership in bringing several of her colleagues at the State level together to assist with the financing needed.It takes a Village to create and build the robust aquatic culture needed by a premier maritime city such as NYC. Swim Strong looks forward to working with all of you toward that goal,” said Shawn Slevin

“Thanks to dedicated grantee partners like Lexington School for the Deaf, we look forward to a future that is safer and healthier. Lexington School is uniquely positioned, both in its geographic location and in the people it reaches, to make this pool a community hub that creates moments of learning, togetherness, and joy, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is proud to support this project,” said Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

“Visiting the Lexington School for the Deaf and touring their pool project was an inspiring experience," said Assemblymember Catalina Cruz. "This initiative goes beyond repairing a swimming pool—it represents a commitment to water safety, recreation, and skills training for our children and families in Queens. The renovated pool will serve as a vital resource, not only for the students of Lexington but for the entire community, providing opportunities for swimming lessons, lifeguard training, and water safety education. I am proud to support this transformative project and look forward to seeing its impact on the lives of so many.”

"Lexington School for the Deaf has always been an incredible space for the deaf and hard of hearing," said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. "I am proud to have provided funding to improve and reopen this pool, and close a glaring gap in access to recreational swimming in Queens."

“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.

"I was thrilled to join Lexington School for the Deaf to celebrate the announcement of their pool rehabilitation project," said Assemblyman Sam Berger (D-Kew Gardens Hills). "This initiative will enable the largest school for the deaf to once again offer vital programs, including swim instruction and lifeguard training, benefiting both the hearing-impaired population and the Queens community at large."