New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks announced on Wednesday that 24 new school buildings are opening this year.
Their announcement comes the day before the start of the 2024-2025 school year for public school students.
The two dozen new school buildings will include 11,010 new seats across the city. It marks the most new K-12 seats opened by the School Construction Authority since 2003.
The new buildings are spread across four boroughs including nine in Brooklyn, eight in the Bronx, one in Manhattan, and six in Queens. They were constructed with green spaces and environmentally friendly materials.
Key features include innovative learning spaces and classrooms equipped with the latest technology, flexible space and furniture and collaborative work spaces.
The buildings also have a focus on community integration with multi-purpose spaces.
"Our administration is committed to giving our children a first-class education, and a crucial part of a great education is having access to great facilities," said Mayor Adams. "With modern and flexible spaces, state-of-the-art technology, science labs, music rooms, sensory gyms, and more, these new schools are going to be incredible spaces for students and staff alike, will play a crucial role in fostering a sense of well-being for our children, and will help us build a safer, more affordable, and more livable city."
Adams, Banks and other local elected officials and school principals cut the ribbon to a brand-new school building in the South Bronx on Wednesday morning. The air-conditioned four-story building houses two schools -- Excellence, Advocacy and Discovery and 643X, which is a District 75 school for students with special needs.
Children who start Thursday will have access to reading and speech resource rooms, art and music classrooms and an exercise room.
What is especially significant about the opening of the new school buildings is the city has been able to close down transportable classroom units. Those were literally built in trailers to accommodate an influx of students when there was not enough money to build new buildings.
Officials say the new capital plan starting this year has funding for an additional 33,000 new seats for students -- meaning the city continues to add capacity for children to learn.
Watch the WABC-TV Back to School Town Hall LIVE on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m. right here on abc7ny.com, and on our YouTube and Facebook pages.
Phil Taitt has the latest on NYC class size improvements heading back to school this year.
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