WILLIAMSBURG — One high school and two elementary schools in Williamsburg will get increased funds for after-school programs, mental and physical health supports, expanded learning time and social services, under a recent citywide expansion of the mayor's community school program.
P.S. 059 William Floyd, the Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design and P.S. 380 John Wayne Elementary will each receive roughly $350,000 in additional funds each for added programming.
Debra Sue Lorenzen, the director of youth and education at St. Nicks Alliance, the organization that will run the community school program at P.S. 380 John Wayne Elementary at 370 Marcy Ave., said next fall students can look forward to extracurricular activities like yoga, dance, sports and visual arts.
Their main goal will be to help the estimated 300 students who are reading below grade level get up to speed.
"[The school has] a large special ed and English language learner population. Many, many of the children are not reading at grade level," she said.
They'll offer literacy-based theater programs, and science and cultural programs, and twice a week will offer additional hours of math and English language arts instruction.
The lion's share of funding for the 69 new community schools comes from a $25.5 million federal grant. Most of the new school programs are located in Upper Manhattan, the South Bronx and Central and South Brooklyn, with an additional three in Staten Island Schools and six in Queens schools.
The latest expansion will bring the tally up to 215 community schools opened since the program began in 2014.
Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration has cited decreases in chronic absenteeism, and boosts in state test scores as evidence of their success.
Here's where all the new community schools will be added next year.
