Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

336 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 doesn’t allow racism and socioeconomic status to be the divide of our students,” Dr. Gordon says. Campus Infrastructure and Prestigious Representation Suffolk Public Schools also invests in infrastructure to create a conducive learning environment. Over the past three years, the district replaced all of its athletic equipment and made major upgrades to its facilities. This includes new tennis courts, tracks, basketball courts, and synthetic turf fields at all three high schools. One of the biggest improvements certainly involves the plans to build a groundbreaking new middle school, which will replace John F. Kennedy Middle School—first constructed in 1965. The opening of the new school doors is scheduled for September 2026. There has been approximately $53 million given by the Suffolk City Council toward this project, and an additional $15 million through state construction grants and $6.5 million in fund reallocations. These infrastructure upgrades bear the same mark of strong community support that Suffolk displays within its curriculum. Overall, these changes will become exemplary symbols of the district’s commitment to world-class facilities. However, it’s not just the buildings that show the world-class nature of Suffolk Public Schools. It’s also the exclusive and high-impact deals that they manage to secure for themselves. At first glance, it becomes glaringly obvious that the extracurricular representation within the Suffolk Public School District is leagues above that of others. The district is partnered with a local Nike affiliate, BSN Sports, and through that connection, it has managed to secure a contract that even college institutions would jump through hoops for.