Bloomberg opens new Corona school

With the start of the school year just days away, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein paid a special visit to Corona’s P.S. 307 - one of the 18 new school buildings throughout the city - that will house new students beginning this year.
The opening of P.S. 307 will provide nearly 1,000 classroom seats for students in District 24 - one of the areas with the greatest need for school districts in the city - allowing for smaller class sizes and individual attention for students at both this school and the other neighboring schools.
“When the children walk through the doors of this brand new elementary school next week they’ll find a shining example of what a New York City Public School should look like,” said Bloomberg, who mentioned modern and comfortable classrooms, science labs, auditoriums, a gymnasium as well as music and art rooms. Bloomberg and Klein took a tour of the school before addressing reporters and parents at a press conference on Wednesday, August 27.
In addition to P.S. 307, 17 other schools throughout the city - including six additional buildings in Queens will open their doors to students for the first time when the 2008 school year begins after Labor Day. The other new Queens school buildings are P.S. 303 in Forest Hills, P.S. 244 in Flushing, P.S. 305 in Ridgewood, P.S. 306 in Woodhaven, P.S. 4 in Long Island City and Elmhurst Education Campus in Elmhurst.
“These 18 new buildings represent our commitment to creating great schools where our students can learn,” Klein said. “These schools are state-of-the-art buildings where students will learn and grow this fall and for many decades to come.”
The 18 new schools, which are part of the city’s five-year capital plan, will add more than 11,471 classroom seats this year and the city expects to add 63,000 seats by 2012 as part of this plan.
“There’s no question we have a long way to go, and construction and renovation of our schools are crucial to keeping our momentum going,” Bloomberg said.
During the announcement, P.S. 307 Principal Cecelia Jackson praised Bloomberg and Klein for their work in helping to establish a school building that will allow students to receive educations compatible with high-achieving schools throughout the city.
“This new building with its state-of-the-art facility will get us started on the right foot,” Jackson said.