50 The Queens Courier • kids & education • september 24, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com AMID FUROR OVER PROPOSED BAYSIDE SCHOOL, CITY POL SEEKS LEGAL CHANGES BY ALINA SURIEL [email protected]/@alinangelica Councilman Paul Vallone is drafting legislation aiming to directly address what many consider to be a lack of transparency in the School Construction Authority’s site selection process. The legislation comes after intense community scrutiny on the agency’s decision to construct a proposed s kids & education 730-seat high school in the former Bayside Jewish Center located on 32nd Avenue between 203rd and 204th streets. Vallone has hosted several meetings with the School Construction Authority (SCA) and community stakeholders regarding the proposed high school. Residents are holding firm in their disapproval of the school’s placement even though efforts are being made to restrict the number of seats and allow community input in which programs would be offered. The councilman is introducing two bills aimed at improving the school site selection process. The first bill would require the SCA to provide annual City Council reports listing, by borough, potential school sites that the SCA has reviewed and deemed ineligible for a school. The second bill would require the SCA to enable residents to suggest school sites through the SCA’s website for The School Construction Authority has recently come under fire for selecting the former Bayside Jewish Center for a 730-seat high school. consideration and review. Vallone said increasing resident involvement is critical because nobody knows the community better than those who live there. “Nobody supports the SCA’s site selection process File photo and it’s clear that it needs to be changed,” he said. “Our continuing community engagement meetings have been critical in gathering input on how to fix this process while also better addressing our children’s needs and the overcrowding in our schools.” FREE CUNY INFORMATION SESSION TO BE OFFERED IN OZONE PARK BY SUZANE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @QueensCourier Students interested in learning about what CUNY schools have to offer are invited to attend a free information session in Ozone Park next month. In partnership with Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Assemblymen Mike Miller and Phil Goldfeder and City Councilman Eric Ulrich, representatives from the City University of New York will be at M.S. 137 in Ozone Park on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. to conduct an interactive information session about CUNY schools. The CUNY school system consists of some of the best higher-education schools and universities in the country. With more than 20 campuses located across New York City, CUNY currently provides more than 540,000 enrolled students with the high-quality education they need to succeed. Addabbo acknowledges that the process of selecting a college is not easy: “There is no doubt that applying to and choosing a college can be a very overwhelming experience not just for students, but for their families as well. This free event eases much of that pressure by providing information and details that will make the process much easier for everyone involved.” Potential students and their families are invited to attend the event and have their questions or concerns regarding scholarship opportunities, financial aid, degree programs or student life addressed. The session will take place in the auditorium of M.S. 137, located at 109-15 98th St., Ozone Park. For more information, contact Addabbo’s office at 718-738-1111.
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