City And Borough Officials Hot Under The Collar About Losing Schools

In Queens, Lew Simon, Democratic District Leader for the 23rd Assembly District, was livid at the fact that the borough stands to lose about $1.8 billion in education construction funds if the budget cuts go through.
"It drives me insane," Simon told The Queens Courier. "Queens is really getting the shaft this time."
Simon said the initial plans for the expansion of the Queens public schools, drawn up in 1999, called for 12 facilites to be added in the next two years. The number was subsequently reduced to nine and later to five.
Now, it appears that the two new schools planned for District 27 P.S. 253 on Central Ave. and Neilson St. and P.S. 254 on Park Lane South and 101st St. will die before ever being born.
"The construction never started," Simon said. "With District 27 at 129 percent capacity and busting at the seams, this is unacceptable." Simon also added that overcrowding is the main reason for discipline problems and a steadily dropping learning curve among elementary and junior high school students.
Outside of Queens, mayoral hopeful Fernando Ferrer joined hundreds of parents who gathered last Thursday in front of Governor Patakis Manhattan office to protest what many of them see as another hostile move towards the city based on the misconceptions about its prosperity.
"They probably think that we [in the city] have the money coming out of our ears," said one Flushing resident who identified herself only as Sandra. She said her two children, ages 7 and 12, attend public schools.
Governor Patakis office did not return calls for comment.