Greenwich Village to Get New Public School at 75 Morton Street

GREENWICH VILLAGE (March 24, 2014) For seven years and through 3 successive Governors, elected officials and community activists have sought to have New York State sell the building at 75 Morton Street to the School Construction Authority to be used as a public middle school. Today, that dream moved one step closer to reality as New York State officially transferred the building to the School Construction Authority (SCA) who will now transform the site into a middle school that will hold at least 800 students. The school will open as soon as the SCA completes a through renovation of the building. Greenwich Village has not had a public middle school since 2010, when the Greenwich Village Middle School relocated to the financial district.

“Anyone with a child in public school can tell you that school overcrowding is out of control. I 'm pleased to report that with 75 Morton Street becoming much needed classroom space, we are on our way, and we will stand together until our children are in their new public middle school. And a big thank you to all our parents who have worked so hard, many of whom did so even though their own children weren't going to benefit,” Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick stated.

State Senator Brad Hoylman said, "This milestone is a tremendous achievement for local schoolchildren and their families who have endured classroom overcrowding for far too long. I thank my colleagues in government, especially Assembly Member Glick, and CECD2, the 75 Morton Task Force and Community Alliance, and Community Board 2 for their hard work and persistence in making a new middle school at 75 Morton Street a top priority. We have more work ahead as we enter the construction phase, and I’m looking forward to working with all the stakeholders to get this new middle school online as quickly as possible."

“After seven years of unyielding dedication by parents, Community Board 2, and local elected officials, Greenwich Village is getting a desperately needed public middle school. 75 Morton Street will bring a middle school back to the Village and help reduce overcrowding. I look forward to working with the community and my colleagues to make sure that this school fits the needs of the community, and that it certainly doesn’t take as long to build as it did to acquire,” said Council Member Corey Johnson.

“Creating a much-needed public middle school at 75 Morton Street has been a project that has taken countless hours and the efforts of so many concerned Greenwich Village parents, elected officials, and advocates. The transfer of the property from New York State to the School Construction Authority means that this school is finally on its way to becoming a reality,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler. “I applaud the hard work of everyone involved, and will continue to work together with the SCA and the community to see this project through to the end.”

Community Board 2 President David Gruber said, “A long and uphill battle for a public middle school at 75 Morton Street has finally been achieved . It happened on my watch but it has been a continuous effort by my predecessors on the Community Board , Brad Hoylman , Jo Hamilton , Keen Berger and many many others like Irene Kaufman who never lost sight of the goal. A true partnership of elected officials and both community and parent activists , the CEC, the 75 Morton Task Force made it all possible , but a special salute goes to Assemblymember Deborah Glick and Speaker Christine Quinn. Now the next stage begins . Our 2015 opening was moved to 2016 and the SCA must meet that goal. This can and must happen.”

“I am thrilled to know that we are one very concrete step closer to making 75 Morton Street a middle school and am deeply grateful to Assemblymember Glick, Senator Hoylman, Councilman Johnson, former Speaker Quinn, Community Board 2 and the parents for never giving up. I look forward to a meaningful collaboration with the School Construction Authority and the Department of Education,” stated Shino Takinawa, President of Community Education Council 2 (CEC2)

Local public school parent and parent-activist Ann Kjellberg declared, “The process that made 75 Morton Street a new public school was a triumph of civic leadership. Parents came together, public officials listened and provided ideas and means, and a real need was met. Without the efforts and concern of Assemblymember Deborah Glick and also now-Senator Brad Hoylman and then-Speaker Christine Quinn especially, we parents would have been without recourse. Overcrowding has seriously compromised the ability of our city's educators to provide for our children, particularly in their vulnerable middle years. Our district's burgeoning population of adolescents have been sidelined long enough. With 75 Morton we are a big step closer to giving our kids the education they deserve.”