Queens Schools Getting More Space

The citys five-year capital plan for schools, released Monday, has Queens receiving nearly $2.2 billion of the citys proposed $13.1 billion total for improving current facilities and for constructing and leasing new buildings.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein announced the plan, which supports the Department of Educations Children First Initiative, at PS 234 in Astoria and predicted that, among other things, the capital improvement would create 63,000 new seats, bring innovative, wireless technology to classrooms and increased safety.
"The plan goes beyond the usual bricks and mortar of past capital plans and focuses directly on the urgent needs of the citys children," said Bloomberg.
The plans three components include $4.6 billion for the restructuring of current school space, $4 billion for the construction of 76 new schools citywide, and $4.5 billion for capital improvement projects to repair and upgrade old and deteriorating school buildings.
Councilman John Liu, a member of the City Councils Education Committee, was glad to see the mayors plan mirrored the City Councils, which was unveiled last week and projected a $12.8 billion spending amount.
"He upped the ante on us, which is a good thing," said Liu. "Since last year, the City Council has made education top priority in our policy making and our budget planning."
The decision on which regions and schools will receive money, said the chancellor, was based on the changing demographics in the citys boroughs. Queens would receive 30 new schools. Citywide, the plan calls for 11 small primary school buildings for grades K through 3, with approximately 450 seats; 49 regular schools for grades K through 8, with approximately 650 seats; and 16 intermediate/high schools for grades 6 through 12, with approximately 1,650 seats. All the schools would either be constructed or leased.
The decision to extend the number of grades in primary and high schools was to address middle schools, which, the mayor said, were the single greatest problem. Bloomberg said many students at these schools get lost in the shuffle and lose the stability from familiar teachers and principals and friends that an extended primary and high school bring. The additional capacity would eliminate the need for all transportable classroom units and mini-schools over 20 years old.It would also implement class-size reduction in 100% of Kindergarten through Grade 3 classes and alleviate high school overcrowding and split sessions.
Queens would get six intermediate/high schools and 24 primary schools. The $2.2 billion Queens would receive from the total $13.1 billion proposed funds is the second most of any borough behind the Bronx, but double Manhattans total, almost five times Staten Islands and slightly higher than Brooklyns.
Councilman Liu thought the amount for Queens was appropriate considering the epidemic of overcrowded classrooms in the borough.
"It is obviously only right that the capital priorities reflect that Queens is the borough that is projected to be short thousands of seats," he said.
However, Councilman Leroy Comrie, another member of the Councils Education Committee, said the plan left out some Queens schools experiencing cramped classrooms and children learning in broom closets and converted bathrooms.
"I am surprised there is no capital reconstruction in District 29," said the councilman, adding that the school district is 130% overcrowded. "The plan must reflect the need."
Comrie said he looks forward to flushing out the specifics and making adjustments when the mayor submits the plan to the Council.
Under the plan, which would be the largest capital budget for schools ever, the city will contribute $6.5 billion over five years, while it calls for the state to pay the other half, largely from an expected payout from the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) legal decision, which ruled, this past June, city schools had been underfunded in state aid. In that decision, the court did not edict an amount the state owed, rather it left the number to be tallied by Governor George Pataki and state legislators.
Expecting a $6.5 billion contribution from the state could be a controversial amount. The most the state ever gave for school construction in one year, which was last year, was $404.8 million. Projecting a high state payout before an amount from the legal decision has been determined is a presumptuous gambit, but one, the mayor said, he was confident would come through.
"The state has to come up with a solution to the problem," said Bloomberg.
"Its high time for the state to step up and join our city in improving our schools," added Klein. "This is our proposal and this is what we think we are entitled to under CFE."
Liu was glad to see the mayor turn up the heat on the governor. "I am happy to see him take a more aggressive stand in securing resources from the state," said Liu. "That is a part of the problem that the approach has not been aggressive enough."
The restructuring part of the plan would also support the reconfiguration of low performing schools into smaller, high achieving schools housed in the same building. The plan also earmarks $736 million to make school computers wireless, which would obviate computer rooms and allow them to be used for additional classes, or an additional 2,000 seats. One hundred and fifty-seven million dollars would be used for safety enhancements, like computerized access control systems and video surveillance systems.
The capital plan will be submitted to each of the current community school boards, which may hold public hearings and make recommendations on it until January 1, 2004. The Department of Education will also conduct additional briefings and discussions with elected officials, advocates and community members. The plan will be submitted to the Panel for Educational Policy for review and approval and then will be submitted to the City Council as part of the mayors Capital Budget. The plan would go into effect July 1, 2004.