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QUEENS WEEKLY, JUNE 9, 2019
Francis Lewis high fi nally starts expanding
Groundbreaking for plan to add 500+ seats and relieve city’s most overcrowded school
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BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The most overcrowded
high school in all of New
York City, right here in
Queens, is finally getting
more space.
Come September 2021
students, parents and
faculty at Francis Lewis
High School in Fresh
Meadows will celebrate
the completion of a new
state-of-the-art 555-seat
annex.
Francis Lewis High
School Principal David
Marmor joined the
New York City School
Construction Authority
and Department of
Education officials on May
30 for a special groundbreaking
ceremony
marking the beginning of
the new expansion.
The annex will
reduce overcrowding at
Francis Lewis and will
be fully accessible, airconditioned,
and will
include at least 18 new
instructional spaces.
Other amenities will
include a culinary arts
room, a science lab, a
hydroponic greenhouse,
locker rooms, and a multipurpose
room.
“This new annex will
provide much needed
relief for the students and
staff at Francis Lewis
and is a vital part of the
SCA’s efforts to provide
over 5,300 high school
seats to Queens by 2023,”
said Lorraine Grillo,
president and chief
executive officer of the
New York City SCA. “The
collaboration and effort
that it took on the part
of so many individuals,
stakeholders and elected
officials to respond
to the unprecedented
development and growth
that we see all around us is
truly groundbreaking.”
With a total number of
4,500 students (over 200
percent capacity), Francis
Lewis has maintained a
high-level of academic
excellence despite the
overcrowding conditions,
said Marmor.
“This new annex
will allow our school to
have more programming
flexibility along with
providing our students
with a 21st century
learning environment.
I really do believe our
science research kids
are going to create some
incredible discoveries
in the new lab,” said
Marmor. “On top of that,
the greenhouse is going
to be able to produce
herbs and vegetables
that will go straight from
the greenhouse into the
culinary kitchen where
the kids will be able to
cook, serve and eat fresh
produce in a way that
would not be possible
without the hydroponic
greenhouse.”
The new building
will also mark the end of
students attending classes
in portable trailers in the
field leaving quite a few
options of how to utilize
the space. The field —
complete with a track and
sports facilities in need of
repair — may be part of
the renovation eventually,
with additional plans to
create a JROTC training
facility on the property,
said Marmor.
“We have the largest,
most accomplished
JROTC program in the
country with over 800
students participating,”
said Marmor. “In order
for them to compete
nationally with schools
that are in more rural
areas with space, we
want to provide our
JROTC kids with a proper
training facility.”
City Councilman Peter
Koo, who contributed
funding for the project,
said the new expansion
was desperately needed
to alleviate overcrowding
in the school.
“I was happy to
contribute funding to this
important expansion, and
I’d like to thank Principal
Marmor and his staff,
the Department of
Education, and the School
Construction Authority
for their commitment to
ensuring Francis Lewis
High School students have
the resources they need
to succeed,” said Koo.
Additionally, as part of
the SCA’s Public Art for
Public Schools program,
permanent public artwork
will be included in the
new building.
The artist selected,
Bryan Zanisnik, was
commissioned under
the Public Art for
Public Schools “Sites for
Students” program for
which he will conduct
a series of students
workshops in conjunction
with his new artwork.
The artwork will be in
the multi-purpose room
on the second floor,
which the school plans
to use as a “restaurant”
eating area for culinary
students, as well as a
gathering area for special
events.
Instruction will
not be interrupted
during construction of
the annex.
Reach reporter
Carlotta Mohamed by
email at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4526.
Francis Lewis High School Principal David Marmor. Photo: Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
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