On the first day of school Thursday, more than 11,000 New York City children will head into new buildings — in the largest school construction expansion in two decades.
The public school system is opening 24 buildings this fall, Mayor Adams announced Wednesday at a ribbon-cutting in the Bronx. With the latest additions, just a couple dozen temporary classrooms remain throughout the city, down from a high of more than 350 unwelcoming units over a decade ago.
“This means that we can close all but 24 of those outdated trailer classrooms from our schools,” Adams said at press conference outside of The Leaders of Excellence, Advocacy and Discovery, an elementary school in Melrose with close to 550 seats.
The construction included nine buildings in Brooklyn, eight in the Bronx, six in Queens and one in Manhattan. Officials touted the facilities as having the latest technology, science labs and music rooms, and sensory gyms for children with disabilities — with more additions in the pipeline.
The newly adopted 2025-2029 capital plan provides funding for more than 33,400 classroom seats.
But advocates have criticized the School Construction Authority’s new plan for not including any new schools in the Bronx, where the press conference was held, despite the projected need for thousands of spots.
Schools Chancellor David Banks said there’s something special about entering a new school.
“I know the a-ha moments that those kids are going to have when they walk in for the first time and be overwhelmed by the newness of this building,” said Banks.
“It smells like it’s new, doesn’t it? And this beautiful garden out here: It says to the kids, and it says to the parents, and it says to the broader community that we care and that you are important to us.”