The city is using several empty lots to ensure students in one of New York’s most congested school districts don’t get lost in the “crowd.”
Due to collaboration between the Department of Education (DOE), School Construction Authority (SCA) and Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, the city plans to purchase a cluster of land in Woodside to construct a new elementary school– easing overcrowding in school District 30 by creating roughly 430 new seats.
“I have been looking for a school in that area since I started at the Community Education Council (CEC) nine years ago. This decision is huge,” said Jeff Guyton, co-president of CEC District 30. “We are growing big time in Sunnyside and Woodside, and we are very successful. We have great schools and great leadership in the district, and it is a big thing to put another school in this area that is overcrowded.”
Van Bramer, prompted by the situation at P.S. 11, an elementary school in the area currently operating at 117 percent capacity, has worked with the SCA to address the overcrowding issues in Sunnyside and Woodside.
“This agreement comes at a time when CEC 30 is in the midst of some of the worst overcrowding in the city of New York,” said Van Bramer. “Today’s announcement shows a commitment by both the SCA and the DOE to address this problem in our district. This agreement will not only give our children the adequate space that is needed to learn, but will also alleviate the strain that has been put on schools in the surrounding area.”
Local elected officials echoed the councilmember, emphasizing the negative effect overcrowding can have on education.
“No child should have to fight for a desk, school supplies or the attention of their teachers,” said Congressmember Joseph Crowley. “There is no question Queens is in need of new and better school facilities and today’s announcement is a step forward in addressing the needs of Woodside students. But our efforts must continue, and I will keep fighting in Congress to ensure that schools in Queens receive their fair share of federal funds and that the education of our children comes first.”
Construction on the building is scheduled to begin in the spring or summer of 2013, and the new school is expected to open in September of 2015.
Despite the major boost the new school will provide the area, Guyton believes more measures are necessary if the problem of overcrowding is to be solved.
“Woodside and Sunnyside have been needing help for a long time,” he said. “But we need help in Jackson Heights also. We are still looking for options in Jackson Heights, which is our most intense area of overcrowding.”
