Senator Golden Announces More Than 1,000 Classroom Seats To Grow In Brooklyn

Brooklyn- State Senator Marty Golden (R-C, Brooklyn) is announcing that the New York City School Construction Authority has scheduled construction to begin on two neighborhood schools, work that when completed will collectively add 1,093 new classroom seats for students of Brooklyn’s School District 20, a district faced with severe overcrowding problems.

The construction will begin by the end of this month on both Public School 229 and New Utrecht High School. Public School 229 will receive an extension that will create an additional 651 seats. New Utrecht High School addition will provide 442 additional school seats.

The Public School 229 addition will be a four-story, state-of-the art school addition will be occupied in September, 2009. The total 651 new seats will be divided in that grades Pre-K to 5th will receive 351 new seats and 300 new seats will serve Grades 6-8, making Public School 229 the newest Pre-K to 8 school in the community. The additional will also provide a science lab, art and music classrooms, a new library, a medical suite, kitchen and a gym.

The New Utrecht High School extension will be a two-story, state-of-the art school addition that will be occupied in September, 2009. The new extension, allowing for 442 additional school seats, will in addition provide a new kitchen, cafeteria and office space.

Senator Marty Golden, a member of the Senate Education Committee, stated, ""I will be the first one to say loud and to say clear that we need additional classroom space here in our community not tomorrow, but yesterday. School construction in our community is long overdue and it is exciting that, at both Public School 229 and New Utrecht High School, we are on the brink of seeing ground broken and construction starting. This is a major step in reducing the overcrowding in our district."

Senator Golden continued, "We are preparing for our future, and we must always remember, that the future starts in the classroom and starts now. This is a dream come true for District 20. Anytime you can expand a great school, in this case two great schools in P.S. 229 and New Utrecht High School, to be an even better, more premier school for our students to learn and to grow in, we have accomplished something that will have a long standing positive impact on our neighborhood and future."

Senator Golden was a driving force in the passage of legislation earlier this year that approved a school construction aid package for New York. The agreement was for the legislature to provide $12 Billion in Capital Funding for New York City public schools. Golden also approved $600 million in operating expenses for public schools within the 5 boroughs.

Senator Golden has also proposed school expansion projects at I.S. 259 and P.S. 163, and feasibility studies have been completed at these sites.

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