Councilwoman Julie Won brought an oversized check with her during a visit to P.S. 150 in Sunnyside Monday, Feb. 6. Won presented it to the students and administrators in the middle school’s auditorium.
The $500,000 in capital funding, which the school’s administration applied for after Won’s last visit in 2022, will go toward the renovation of the auditorium. Won is visiting each school in her district to disperse capital and discretionary expense funding.
In fiscal year 2023, schools in her district received $11,476,574 in funding. Last month, Won announced $300,000 for library upgrades at P.S. 199 on the border of Sunnyside and Long Island City. Won also delivered $400,000 in funding for cafeteria air conditioning at P.S. 12 in Dutch Kills, and $300,000 for a moveable gym wall at P.S. 343 in Sunnyside.
Won explained that each school in her district had received forms to apply for capital funding for the upcoming fiscal year, and she invited principals and administrators to apply. The deadline is Feb. 24 to apply for Reso A capital funding. After school administrators submit their three priorities, applications will be reviewed, and a determination will be made in June.
“During my first year in office as Council member and mom, schools in my district received 70% of my office’s capital budget and a total of $11,476,574 in funding,” Won said. “I began my term visiting every school in the district last year, where administrators, teachers and students shared the top improvements they wanted for their schools.”
As a result of those efforts, Aviation High School in Long Island City received $5,000,000 for new jet engines for its Aviation Maintenance Technician School; P.S. 111 in Dutch Kills received $300,000 for technology upgrades; Q277 in Long Island City received $100,000 for bathroom upgrades; and P.S. 11 on Skillman Avenue in Woodside received $100,000 for technology upgrades. Won delivered $75,000 in funding for an additional 20 schools in her district.
“As a local parent, our schools will continue to be a top priority in my office to ensure that our children will receive the best education possible,” Won said. “I encourage school administrators to apply for funding in the upcoming fiscal year and look forward to supporting all of our educators.”
Parents and students interested in requesting funding for school upgrades can engage in Participatory Budgeting, a democratic process in which community members vote to decide how to spend $1 million of the council capital budget. Voting week for Participatory Budgeting begins March 25 and ends April 2. For more information on Participatory Budgeting, email Won’s office at District26@council.nyc.gov.
