By Bill Parry
Officials broke ground last week for the first new public school to be built in Woodside in more than 60 years, and the construction will bring relief to a crushing overcrowding problem that has plagued School District 30 for decades.
PS 339, at 39-07 57th St., will have a seating capacity for 470 students from pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade. The five-story, fully air conditioned facility will house 22 standard classrooms and two special education classrooms.
The plans call for multiple resource rooms, a music room and a “gymatorium,” a combination gym and auditorium. A library, cafeteria and community room are also featured with a general use playground. The building is expected to be completed in time for September 2015.
“When I looked at my schedule, I knew it was going to be a great day,” said City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside). “It’s always a good day when you break ground on a new school.”
He pointed out that PS 339 was one of five new schools that will add more than 2,000 seats to his district covering Woodside, Sunnyside and Long Island City.
PS 11, at 54-25 Skillman Ave., will get the most relief when the new school opens. With 1,348 students in a building designed for 700, Principal Anna Efkarpides said, “I am so excited that this is happening because the community needs it so badly. We’ve been overcrowded forever.”
Van Bramer could not explain why it took 60 years for a new school in Woodside, but he did say “the situation is intolerable.”
Community Board 2 Chairman Joe Conley said, “We’re seeing a population that’s growing rapidly. Everyone wants to live here and they need good schools.”
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) said, “Reducing class size and equipping our students with the proper resources are part of the necessary investments we must continue to make in order to ensure future generations reach their full potential. I applaud the efforts of city officials and all the members of our community who worked so hard to make this new school a reality.”
But not everyone was impressed.
Homeowner Jim Condes, 76, was denied access to the groundbreaking, which was only open to the media and elected officials because of insurance concerns.
Standing outside the construction site, he said, “This is going to be the third elementary school in a block and a half with St. Sebastian’s. There’s going to be a lot of traffic with buses and drop-offs. They didn’t talk about that, did they?”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
