District 28 says class-size funding won support but school space will limit reaching 80% target

District 28 officials told parents and community members at a Class Size Committee meeting that the district secured funding for class‑size reductions at 24 schools but lacks the physical space to meet a higher compliance target the city is expected to set next year.

"24 of our schools received funding of some sort, which accounts for a 17 class reductions across the district," said Raj (district manager of operations and special projects, New York City Geographic District #28). "That's essentially we're going to need about a hundred teachers to serve, give or take."

The committee meeting focused on where to put students once the city raises an implementation threshold from the current 60% target toward an expected 80% target. District staff and parent leaders said they have largely exhausted classroom and annex space inside school buildings and are exploring leasing adjacent properties, building new annexes or constructing new campuses.

Why it matters: The class‑size mandate will require hiring many new teachers and also changing the district’s physical footprint. Officials said hiring is likely achievable — "Everybody wants to come work with us," Raj said — but identifying and preparing usable space is the harder problem.

District staff and parent leaders outlined three near‑term steps they are pursuing: (1) convene the School Construction Authority (SCA), the rezoning/land‑use team and elected offices to identify available parcels or lease options; (2) pursue potential leases of buildings adjacent to existing annexes (the district cited a building next to the Annex at the Q99 campus as an example); and (3) collect questions from parents and principals for a planned SCA meeting so the authority can come prepared.

"An entry point for us to move forward is looking at how we can address space issues that are going to arise, once the percentage moves to 80%," Raj said. He and Vic (staff member) described intensive walk‑throughs of schools with SCA and district planning staff to find every convertible space; those walks, they said, largely exhausted available space inside buildings.

Parents and community board members pressed several specific concerns. Adriana asked who would pay for asbestos abatement when interior spaces are renovated; Vic answered, "My understanding is that once construction starts in any building ... whatever is found, is covered by SCA and the city. That does not come out of the school's galaxy funding." Vanessa Sparks, a Community Board 12 education committee member, raised the challenge of collocated schools — multiple schools sharing one building — and urged exploration of merging or relocating small programs that predate current enrollment pressures.

Committee members and representatives from Queens Borough leadership and state elected offices attended. Catherine Zapata of the Queens Borough President’s office said the borough president’s office and Council Member Natasha Williams are treating schools in District 28 as a priority in the broader Jamaica rezoning conversation. Elizabeth Sawumi, a staffer for Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman, offered her office’s help in Albany coordination related to state budgeting.

District leaders repeatedly urged a coordinated, multi‑stakeholder meeting. "If we got everybody together, we could get the answers to most of the questions," Vic said, calling for a meeting with rezoning staff, SCA and the district team before the next school year. Officials said they will try to schedule that meeting in late June or when school activities allow.

What was not decided: no formal votes or policy changes were taken at the meeting. The committee gathered questions and pledged follow‑up: staff said they would compile answers from SCA and other agencies and report back at the next committee meeting. The district also asked parents and principals to complete a questionnaire in the chat so SCA can come prepared.

Community context and constraints: staff described lengthy timelines and hidden costs when retrofitting spaces — examples included converting locker rooms and the discovery of asbestos during prior construction that delayed projects for years. Raj and Vic emphasized that safety, ventilation, fire code and accessibility concerns make converting unconventional spaces time‑consuming and subject to SCA approval.

Officials named several specific locations and pressures within District 28 discussed during the meeting: schools identified by district code (examples cited in the meeting: 217, 206, 175, 358, 349), the Q99 annex adjacent property for potential lease, and York Early College Academy (a collocated middle/high school) where families have sought a separate building for years. Parent leaders urged that York Early College Academy be considered for the new Hillside Avenue campus under discussion as part of the Jamaica rezoning.

The meeting closed with plans to gather stakeholder questions, activate parent leaders and seek a convening with SCA and rezoning staff. "We need to galvanize all stakeholders," Raj said. "The cost of real estate in the city is going up every day — the quicker we have conversations about purchasing land and building physical structures, the better."

The district said it will follow up with answers from SCA and other agencies and report progress at the next Class Size Committee meeting.