LONG ISLAND CITY — Mayor Bill de Blasio's preliminary budget includes funding for four new schools in western Queens, according to City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer — what the lawmaker hailed as one of several "significant victories" included in the plans.
The mayor's $82.1 billion budget, proposed yesterday for fiscal year 2017, includes $200 million for one school in Woodside and three more in Long Island City, the councilman said.
"I've fought alongside concerned parents in our community to address overcrowding in our schools," Van Bramer said in a statement.
Parents in Long Island City have been pushing for years for additional school space in the neighborhood, as there's currently just one elementary school that serves the burgeoning waterfront area in Hunters Point.
In Woodside, parents have petitioned for an additional middle school.
A spokesman for Van Bramer's office said it's too early in the budget process to say how many seats the funding would specifically create, or where the new schools would be located.
Citywide, the mayor's budget proposal would fund 11,800 new school seats, according to City Hal.
In School District 30 — which includes Long Island City and Astoria, and parts of Woodside, Sunnyside, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights — the budget includes increased funding for 2,600 seats, a Department of Education spokeswoman said.
It includes funding for 800 additional seats in neighboring District 24, which encompasses parts of Long Island City and Sunnyside as well as Corona, Elmhurst, Ridgewood, Maspeth and Middle Village.
