GOWANUS — P.S. 32, sandwiched in a neighborhood with a fast-growing student population, will finally get a new 436-seat annex to replace classroom trailers it's been using for more than a decade, City Councilman Brad Lander announced.
“The new 436-seat annex is an important step forward for our community as the school-aged population continues to grow. We will need to decide how to use that new capacity to meet our community's growing need. It won't solve all our problems, but it’s a very good step forward,” Lander said in a statement to DNAinfo New York.
P.S. 32 The Samuel Mills Sprole School, a pre-k to 5th grade school located at 317 Hoyt St., has been using trailers as classrooms in its rear yard for about 15 years, officials said.
In spring 2014, Lander officially requested the School Construction Authority to consider replacing the trailers with a permanent building.
In an announcement last week, Lander said the SCA was moving forward with construction, which is expected to begin in September 2016. The estimated completion date is June 2019.
The Department of Education's five-year capital plan amendment for 2015 to 2019 identifies the need for 640 seats in Carroll Gardens, Gowanus and Red Hook.
The neighborhoods are part of District 15, which also include Park Slope and Sunset Park.
It was not immediately clear which classes the new annex would serve. The DOE did not respond to requests for comment.