Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Borough President Molinaro Announces P.S. 44 Annex Is Site for New K-8 School
Dept. of Education Plans New 600-Plus-Seat Facility in Mariners Harbor
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President James P. Molinaro today announced that the Department of Education has identified the P.S. 44 Annex in Mariners Harbor as the site for a new kindergarten-through-eighth-grade, 600-plus-seat school.
The Department of Education plans to raze the existing Annex to make room for a modern, new facility, which will include District 75.
“I am pleased to announce today that the School Construction Authority has agreed that the P.S. 44 Annex is an acceptable site for a new school, contingent upon the Department of Education’s process of approvals,” Molinaro said.
“I am a strong supporter of new schools that offer students a seamless transition from kindergarten to grade 8 -- all on one campus,” Molinaro added. “I think this is a superior approach for the benefit of our children. I applaud Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein for their leadership in creating a renaissance in our schools that is producing improved facilities and a better learning environment for our children. I also want to thank Region 7 Superintendent Michelle Fratti for her tireless efforts on behalf of Staten Island’s schools.”
With the Mariners Harbor school, Staten Island will soon have two new K-8 schools. Yesterday, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein announced that he was considering a proposal to transform P.S. 31 in New Brighton as the Borough’s first K-8 school.
The design phase for the Mariners Harbor school, which has yet to be named, is scheduled to begin soon. Normally after the design phase, it takes approximately 30 months for a school to be built. Based on that timetable, the school is on track to open in 2007.
October 28, 2004