Jamaica will get a new intermediate school on 108th Avenue, but not everyone is convinced the 650-seat facility will alleviate overcrowding.The new school, named for the poet William Wordsworth, will be built behind P.S. 48. State Sen. Shirley Huntley announced the plans at last Wednesday’s Community Board 12 meeting in St. Albans. Kendrick Ou, a representative for the New York City School Construction Authority, told residents the school was in the design phase. "The exact footprints of the building have not been decided yet, but we welcome all comments and ideas," he said. The new development will be fully air-conditioned, with an auditorium and a gym. For years, parents and school staff had complained P.S. 48 was cramped and could not handle the growing number of students. The fate of the old P.S. 48 is still under consideration, with Huntley calling for it to be turned into a landmark. Parents would like to see it used as a school. Parents said they had been dealing with an inadequate school for more than 20 years.The school’s cafeteria was also used to host events, but could not accommodate large crowds for graduation ceremonies. Not everyone saw the new school as a blessing. Some asked why a 650-seat facility, still two or three years away from being occupied, was being built when the area is bracing for a population increase in the wake of a recent rezoning."At the rate we’re going, the 650 (seats) won’t last long," said one concerned resident to Ou, who fielded questions on the topic of overcrowding in the future. Other questions came from outraged parents, who wanted to know why the park next to the school wasn’t being utilized to create more space for their children and the growing community. The city Department of Parks owns the property, but the School Construction Authority is discussing the possibility of using it, Ou said. The groundbreaking on the new school hasn’t been determined, and the proposal is about to enter the 45-day comment portion phase that allows residents and parents to voice their concerns.A separate hearing about the school will take place on Oct. 29. Architects with the School Construction Authority will unveil further details of the school plan during the hearing.
Senator Huntley: Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Often Difficult to Pinpoint | An Op-ed by State Senator Shirley Huntley