Koppell gives schools $$$

By Kate McNeil

Students at the Robert J. Christen School, PS 81, will be able to surf the net in style this year, thanks to funding secured by City Councilman Oliver Koppell.

Plans call for adding new desks, new computers and generally redesigning the computer lab to make it more appealing and comfortable to the school's tech-savvy students.

But the Riverdale Avenue school isn't the only one benefiting from Mr. Koppell's discretionary funds.

The councilman has allocated more than $1 million to local schools to fund everything from new tennis teams, computers and guitar classes.

Also on the technology side, PS 24, PS 360 and the IN-Tech Academy, MS/HS 368, will all get new computers as well as the very popular smart boards, interactive chalkboards that work by touch or a click of the mouse.

The funding was great news to Arlene Mackin, who coordinates MS/HS 368's grant requests. The school, on Tibbett Avenue, puts a strong focus on technology in every classroom, and provides each student with a laptop.

IN-Tech's up-the-hill counterpart, the David A. Stein Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy, MS/HS 141, is getting funding of its own.

Mr. Koppell's allocation could make a high school tennis team a reality at the West 237th Street school.

While MS/HS 141 currently has a middle school tennis team, athletic director Bob Finz said he plans to apply to the Public Schools Athletic League for a high school team to possibly start in spring 2008.

And budding thespians, fear not.

Money has also been funneled in to support the school's drama enrichment partnership with Roundabout Theatre.

Enrichment programs at a slew of schools - PS 7, PS/MS 37, PS 81, the Sheila Mencher Van Cortlandt School, PS/MS 95, PS 207, MS/HS 368 and Jonas Bronck Academy - will also receive a boost.

Mr. Koppell has allocated funds to non-profit organizations like the Bronx Arts Ensemble, DreamYard, Renaissance E.M.S Music Outreach and Riverdale Neighborhood House, to conduct both inschool and after-school music enrichment programs at these schools.

Funding to these organizations has proved fruitful in the past for local schools.

Thanks to a $10,000 donation last year by the councilman, MS/HS 368 was able to offer after-school guitar and music appreciation classes coordinated by Riverdale Neighborhood House this past school year.

The donation allowed the school to purchase more guitars so the class of 24 boys could bring them home to practice. With this new funding in place, the guitar class and other arts programs at MS/HS 368 will continue to thrive.

"I am pleased that my council funds will enhance educational opportunities for the students in my district and help fill the gap created by the elimination of Project Arts funding by the Department of Education," Mr. Koppell said in a press release.