WEST VILLAGE — The newest middle school in Manhattan's largest public school district will have an educational rooftop garden, after local parent activists secured funds for it from elected officials.
M.S. 323 is set to welcome its first class of students at 75 Morton St. in fall of 2017 — and will have the garden thanks to $500,000 in grant money from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilman Corey Johnson, as well as Assemblywoman Deborah Glick.
"The green roof at nearby P.S. 41 has been a huge success, and with such a great team of parents and administrators in place, I know this one will be as well," Johnson said in a statement, praising the grassroots organization that has pushed for the school for roughly a decade, the 75 Morton Community Alliance.
The group "advocated fiercely for this project and put in an extraordinary amount of effort to ensure that MS 323 will be state-of-the-art," Johnson said.
READ MORE: Here's What You Need To Know About the New Middle School at 75 Morton St.
75MCA had requested $1 million in capital grant money from local electeds in February.
Johnson ultimately committed $200,000 and Brewer $100,000. Assemblywoman Deborah Glick kicked in another $200,000. Officials say the half million is sufficient to fund the rooftop garden.
Newly-picked school principal Jacqueline Getz thanked the electeds for the incoming "Experiential Roof Garden Ecosystem," and noted that the local community will have access to it as well.
“This green space will enhance many lives,” she said in a statement.
Roughly 1,200 square feet of the roof will be designated for student use. The garden is also intended to reduce the school's energy consumption.
