By Sarina Trangle
The city is hoping to alleviate crowded classrooms in Ozone Park by building a primary school on Albert Road, but some say that could leave more than students squeezed for space.
The city School Construction Authority announced last week the construction of a 516-seat primary school on Albert Road between Raleigh Street and 99th Place.
Howard Kamph, president of the Ozone Park Civic Association, said the area needed more schools, but there were concerns this location would tie up traffic on Albert Road, a narrow, one-way street.
“There’s no real access there. There’s no parking for teachers, There’s just one very congested road,” Kamph said, noting that he wanted to discuss where buses would come and go at a Community Board 10 public hearing on the school and thought a layover area solely for buses may be beneficial. “They should make some kind of in cove where the buses can come in and park.”
Marjorie Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the city Department of Education, said the department intended to start building a four-story school with two wings next summer and open the pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade institution in September 2017.
Property records show the SCA purchased two lots for $4.2 million from the New York Racing Association Inc. in 2009 and then transferred them to the city. The property along with part of the Huron Street road bed would be included in the project, according to a notice in the City Record, which publishes city agency notices.
The DOE did not respond to inquiries about why the department had selected that location for the school.
However, school district 27, which encompasses the Rockaways, Howard Beach, South Ozone Park, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Woodhaven is one of the most crowded in the city. It currently is at about 106 percent of its target capacity, according to Class Size Matters, a non-profit advocating for fewer pupils in public schools in the city.
A July 2014 report by Class Size Matters noted that many District 27 primary schools had class sizes larger than those agreed to in the teachers union contracts and that at least 10 primary and middle schools relied on trailers to supplement traditional classrooms.
Joshua Hirschman, president of the District 27 Community Education Council, did not respond to a request for comment.
Reach reporter Sarina Trangle at 718-260-4546 or by e-mail at strangle@cnglocal.com.
