8 The Queens Courier • MARCH 7, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com RALLYING FOR FLUSHING HIGH BY MELISA CHAN [email protected] Parents, teachers and students at an embattled Flushing school are fighting to keep the city out of their space. Scores of supporters gathered at Flushing High School to have their voices heard by the Department of Education (DOE) during an agencyhosted public hearing on February 28. The city plans to add a small district high school and a Chinese bilingual school inside the storied institution. The two new schools would share the building — including the gym, cafeteria and auditorium — with Flushing High School students. “Our goal is to create a system of great schools that prepare all students for college,” said DOE spokesperson Devon Puglia. “Designed to meet the needs of individual communities, our new, small schools have delivered resounding results.” Math teacher Jessica Dimech said the proposal was just another blow to the struggling school after the city unsuccessfully tried closing it less than a year ago. “You gave us another six months with a stacked deck and cut our funding,” said Dimech, also a member of the school’s leadership team. “The DOE time and time again pulls the carpet from underneath us. Please just let me do my job.” The Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) is largely expected to vote in favor of the proposal on March 11, sources said. The panel supported the city’s attempt to shutter dozens of city schools last April before a court order reversed the approval. But the Queens representative on the panel, Dmytro Fedkowskyj, said he would vote against the plans. “Enough is enough. Flushing High School doesn’t want to be part of a chance experiment,” he said. According to Juan Mendez, superintendent of Queens high schools, the change would decrease enrollment by 850 students at the crowded school. Freshman Stephanie Kouboulas cried as she vouched for Flushing High School at a recent public hearing. Flushing would take in fewer incoming freshman under the plan. There is also a proposal to place an international school, serving English language learners, inside Newtown High School in Elmhurst. The new institution would prepare recently arrived immigrant students for college. Newtown improved from a “C” to a “B” on its last DOE progress report. Flushing received a “D” in the last two THE COURIER/Photo by Melissa Chan years, recently failing both student progress and performance. Flushing High freshman Stephanie Kouboulas vouched for “the best teachers” at the school as she broke down in tears. “You want us just to fade out into the dust and never be here,” said Kouboulas, 14. “Flushing High School has been here a long time. It shouldn’t go anywhere.” SPACE TO LEARN BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Two new schools will help alleviate overcrowding in Jackson Heights and Corona in the next two years, according to the School Construction Authority (SCA). The first school, P.S. 287, is scheduled to debut this September at 110-08 Northern Boulevard in Corona. Located in District 24, the four-story building will serve pre-K through fifth grade and have a 420 student capacity, said the SCA. I.S. 297 will be completed by September 2014 at 33-55 74th Street in Jackson Heights as part of District 30. The school is expected to have four floors, serve sixth through eighth grade and have a 400 student capacity. “These two new schools, together with the ground we broke on the addition to P.S. 70, will go a long way towards easing overcrowding in western Queens schools. But, there is still more work to be done,” said Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. District 30 has been in need of more schools to keep up with a growing population, school leaders said. “The more crowded it is, the harder it is to get things done, even with parents picking their kids up,” said Isaac Carmignani, co-president of the District 30 Community Education Council. “Anytime we get seats, anytime we get schools, it’s good for us. We’re grateful for anything that we are given.” Overcrowding has also been a problem in District 24 as school construction failed to keep up with the growing population of families, especially new immigrants looking to make the neighborhoods in the district their home, according to InsideSchools.org. “I have been in constant contact with the Department of Education to ensure that a comprehensive plan is established to address the overcrowding in my district,” said Councilmember Julissa Ferreras. Last March, the department announced it would add 6,000 new school seats over the next two years in order to ease overcrowding in the borough. According to the SCA, along with the brand-new school buildings, P.S. 287 will have two playgrounds at the back of the school. I.S. 297’s playground will be located on land purchased by the city across the street from the school. I.S. 297 will open in September 2014 at 33-55 74th Street in Jackson Heights . Renderings Courtesy of School Construction Authority P.S. 287 will open in September 2013 at 110-08 Northern Boulevard in Corona.
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