A Bayside public school will see a newly renovated playground and much-needed electrical upgrades in the near future, a local lawmaker told QNS.
According to Councilman Paul Vallone, a total of $1.1 million in funding has been allotted to P.S. 41, located at 214-43 35th Ave., to completely revamp their playground. The funds were allocated by the Councilman, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Trust for Public Land.
The school administration will soon work with the School Construction Authority (SCA) to determine a design and a timeline for the upcoming project.
The elementary school, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, also won funding for a full electrical upgrade to meet safety standards and support modern technology in this year’s round of participatory budget voting by the community. A total of $950,000 was allocated by Vallone, plus an additional $1.05 million by the SCA, fully funding the project.
With a combined allocation of $3 million, this is the most a single school in the district has ever received in one year, according to Vallone’s office.
School principal Joseph Ferrara said both projects will “dramatically influence” the lives of present and future students.
“On behalf of the entire P.S. 41 community, I want to thank Councilman Vallone for his support of P.S. 41,” Ferrara said. “Quite frankly, the words ‘Thank you’ hardly seem grand enough to express just how thankful we are. I know Council member Vallone worked very hard to bring various entities together to make this happen.”
“For 100 years, P.S. 41 has been a beacon of educational excellence in the Bayside community,” Vallone said. “This blue ribbon school has thrived due to its incredible teachers and administrators, its motivated and intelligent students and heavily involved parents. This funding allocation is a huge win for all of Bayside and will ensure that the school is ready for another 100 years and we’re all looking forward to it.”
