Newark, NJ [February 4, 2022] 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. The Local Recreation Improvement Grant is a competitive grant that supports the improvement and repairs of public recreation facilities including local parks, municipal recreation centers, and local stadiums.

Earlier this week, Governor Philip D. Murphy, Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, notified the district that we will receive the Local Recreation Improvement Grant in the amount of $100,000. 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” remarked Superintendent León.

Board President Haynes said, “As an alumnus of Shabazz, 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.”