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Trailers at two neighborhood schools in process of being removed, multi-million expansion projects completed

PS 11 Photo: QueensPost

Aug. 31, 2017 By Nathaly Pesantez

The beaten up trailers that used to litter the grounds at two local schools are finally being removed, replaced by state-of-the art buildings.

PS11 in Woodside and IS 125 at the Sunnyside/Woodside border will open their doors next week with new buildings, resulting in the removal of the outdated trailers that used to pock their school yards.

Both will now both be able to accommodate hundreds more students that will help address overcrowding at the schools, an issue that was temporarily subdued through the use of trailers over several decades.

A new $92 million annex has been built at P.S.11, the elementary school at 54-25 Skillman Avenue, that will seat 350 students, according to Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer. The annex replaces as many as 10 trailers that used to seat about 220 kindergarten and first-grade students. The annex will also provide additional classroom space for students in all grade levels—from kindergarten to the sixth grade—according to a spokesperson at the school.

The old trailers were at times hazardous, with reports of ceiling tiles falling on children and a P.S. 11 staff member falling through the trailer floor.

The trailers were finally ripped out earlier this month and the space that they occupied will be turned into a school yard with a play area and a soccer field, according to Van Bramer.

Van Bramer at IS125 today (twitter)

IS 125, the middle school at 46-02 47th Ave., will seat 600 students in a large building built at the rear of the school after a massive construction project completed in time for the new school year in September—one year earlier than anticipated. The additional building, which includes a cafeteria and gym along with a multitude of classrooms, cost $82 million to build, Van Bramer said.

Trailers at the middle school, which were built close to twenty years ago, will also be removed soon.

“These two additions have been long sought after. I’m really proud to have worked with all the people involved to make sure that these buildings were built,” Van Bramer, who toured the schools, said. “This is an incredible moment for our community. I’m really proud of this moment.”

At a rally in 2012, Van Bramer and neighborhood parents called on the city to build an annex at P.S.11, noting that school had been plagued with overcrowding issues for two decades.  Plans for an annex were first revealed by the School Construction Authority (SCA) months after the 2012 rally. At the time, there were 1,350 students and the school was at 126 percent capacity, education officials said.

Expansion plans for IS 125, meanwhile, were revealed in 2014, when the school was at 123 percent capacity, and more than 200 students were housed in outdoor portables.

In addition to the new buildings at those schools, the neighborhood can also expect a new middle school at 48th Street and Barnett Avenue in 2019 or 2020. Plans for the school are still in the works, with focus currently on its design and logistics, according to Van Bramer.

Meanwhile, several schools are expected to arrive at the Long Island City waterfront in coming years. In Court Square, a new universal Pre-K center will open for the school year starting in September.

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21 Comments

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Donald Visconti

I retract my last post, as my original message appears above it! Sorry about the misunderstanding. I tried to erase it, but I can’t. Please erase it for me!

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Donald Visconti

To the administrators: What was wrong with my recent post? I merely told that I attended Kindergarten in 1953/54, who the Kindergarten teachers were, and how I and my parents would have resented me being in a trailer, for classes. That is nothing to be censored over!

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Donald Visconti

I’m glad these renovations have been completed. I attended Kindergarten, at P.S. 11, in 1953/54. I was so sorry to see that 1-storey wing demolished, a couple of years ago. I was a morning pupil, with Mrs. Diane Porte as my teacher. The other Kindergarten, across the hall, was taught by Miss Morowitz. Each teacher taught another class, in the afternoon.
The practice of having Kindergarteners in trailers is deplorable! I know I wouldn’t have liked it, and neither would have my Mom & Dad!

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Anonymous

I heard they let five teachers go because enrollment is way down. They figure kids are moving to charter schools, and heading back to their home countries since Trump came in.

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Anonymous

“heading back to their home countries since Trump came in” From your keyboard to God’s ears.

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Anonymous

I am glad that they expanded the school- but 92 million for such a small space seems incredibly high. Only in NYC.

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Miss the kids!

P.S. 11 has been crowded for more than the last twenty years. The “Mini School” addition was a joke right from the beginning. My “classroom” since 1977 was a dressing room! Many other teachers and children were working in closets and hallways. Hope the new addition has air conditioning and the older part of the school (back classrooms) get air conditioning, also. I remember 94 degree classrooms during warmer months Between the 7 EL trains and the planes coming over the school every 39 seconds keeping the windows open was a nightmare! FINALLY, the needs of our children are being addressed! WONDERFUL!!!

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Sir Walter Raleigh

Anonymous is a TRUMPANZEE!!! no bigger phony and blowhard has ever existed than Trump! but he/she persists on attacking JVB who has done nothing but good work for this community.

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Original me

You might want to change your moniker.Old historical white guys are not very popular at the moment.it could be JVB shows up with a protest and the media at your door for his next photo op

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How taxes work

Everybody pays taxes. Even if they don’t pay in April they pay throughout the year via paycheck deductions and everything they buy that is taxed. Then they vote for people who they think will best spend those taxes. Some taxes go to the Federal government, which votes on what to keep and what to send back to the States. The States then vote on what to keep and what to send to the local governments. The local governments, made up of local officials such as City Council and Assembly people, fight to get a share for their constituents. Like any normal person those officials want their constituents to know what they are doing so they take pictures and get press. Then bozo trolls who don’t use their real names, accuse the officials of being do-nothing press hogs.

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Oscar

And other people live in blissful ignorance.sheldon silver, carl Kruger, Alan hevesi and 23 more of our wonderful political all convicted of corruption, well the people get the government they vote for

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the new kermit voice is actually pretty good

they should show him when he shoveled that first ceremonial pile of dirt with Katz and co.I think he also had a tie on and looked quite dapper

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Ed

Now JVB gets his payoff cause the project is finished. Someone should audit his bank account I guarantee you there’s a lot of interesting deposits.

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Anonymous

of course JVBs in the pic haha
Do they have a cardboard cutout of him and just pop em in front of every damn camera available?

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South

Council members play a huge role in acquiring and advocating for funding to flow into projects like these. It’s reasonable that he wants a photo, as it’s an example of the work he has done. Our local government is not some faceless entity which pulls strings for your betterment – it is made up of individuals.

You don’t have to like him to understand why his presence is documented.

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Anonymous

And when will the portion of Doughboy Park that has been taken over and ruined be repaired?

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South

Check the Capital Project tracker on the NYC Parks website – looks like construction is 49% finished. It’s usually fairly accurate.

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