Senator Jose Peralta and the School Construction Authority Unveil New Building Design for Corona’s PS 143 to Replace Classroom Trailers

East Elmhurst, NY — Years after proposing the construction of a permanent addition to P.S. 143 in Corona to alleviate chronic school overcrowding, State Senator Jose Peralta, alongside the School Construction Authority, unveiled this morning the design of the new building to more than one hundred parents in the school’s auditorium. The new structure will replace the current decades-old classroom trailers located in the surrounding area. It will be constructed on land owned by the City’s Parks Department.

“Like I said many times, no child, no child, should be educated in a trailer, and I hope once this project is completed, overcrowding at PS 143 will just be a chapter of its history,” said Senator Peralta, who two years ago stood on school grounds with parents demanding the construction of this permanent addition. “Almost one thousand new seats to replace the mini building and the rundown trailers will help our students learn in the environment they deserve. It will give them a better opportunity to succeed.”

“This brand new, state-of-the-art addition builds on our continued collaboration with local leaders to address overcrowding in School District 24” said Lorraine Grillo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York City School Construction Authority.“We are thrilled to construct a beautiful and modern learning environment for the PS 143 students to grow and thrive in and look forward to bringing these 980 new seats to Corona as fast as possible.”

“Parks is happy that we were able to work with the School Construction Authority to design a solution that allows the school to expand, while also improving the recreational amenities in Louis Armstrong Park. I’d like to thank Senator Peralta for his dedication to the mental and physical wellbeing of this community,” said Queens Borough Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski.

“We’re thrilled to provide additional support to the PS 143 community. These state-of-the art-facilities will provide new and exciting opportunities for students to grow and learn, and we will continue working with families throughout this process. This is a significant step in our commitment to remove TCU," said Department of Education Deputy Chancellor Elizabeth Rose.  

The new state-of-the art building will have a capacity for 980 students, new science laboratories, art and music rooms, and a large cafeteria. It is slated to open in September of 2020, and will be five stories high.

With the new building, the six school trailers that accommodate almost two hundred first graders and the mini-building will be removed.

“This is a victory for schoolkids, and I want to thank the parents, P.S. 143 and the community for their tireless efforts to bring about this project,” said Senator Peralta. “I want to thank the School Construction Authority, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Department of Education for partnering and working together to make this a reality. Our schoolchildren need this. Our schoolchildren deserve it.”

PS 143 was built to accommodate about 900 students. It enrolls about 1,800, with students sitting in six rundown trailers, a mini-building and an annex on 98^th Street. “These so-called temporary classroom units, or trailers, have been here for decades. And just yesterday, students in these trailers faced frigid temperatures, making it difficult for them to learn,” Senator Peralta said.   

“We are very happy with this news, news about the construction of the new addition, and this wouldn’t have happened without the help from Senator Peralta. He pushed for this project since the beginning,” said Angélica Salgado, President of the Parent-Teacher Association at PS 143.  

Senator Peralta first proposed idea of the building a permanent annex to PS 143 in March 2013 to then-Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott.