CORONA — The city plans to build a long-awaited addition at one of the city's most overcrowded schools, officials said.
There are more than 1,700 students at P.S. 143 in Corona, although its capacity is only 900. Students attend classes in six trailers at its 113th Street schoolyard and at an annex nearly a mile away.
Earlier this month, the Department of Education told Sen. Jose Peralta, who has led the push for a permanent addition, that it is finally scoping out the project.
“This is a huge victory for parents because in just a few years from now, our students, finally, will no longer have to go to class and sit in a classroom trailer," Peralta said in a statement.
The project should begin at the end of the 2016-2017 school year, he said.
And when completed, the new building will house all students from the six trailers and annex on 98th Street.
Angelica Salgado, the president of P.S. 143's PTA, said they were happy to hear the news about construction.
"The new building will also improve the quality of education our children receive,” she said.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said it is "carefully reviewing proposals" for the annex to "provide additional space for students to have a supportive learning environment."
