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District 28 says all class‑size plans were filed; annexes and SCA delays could slow relief
Summary
District 28 officials told parents and CEC members that all class‑size applications were submitted in December and that DOE review, School Construction Authority assessments and site constraints — including a tree blocking fire access — will shape whether the district meets its targets; parents pushed for clearer SCA project tracking and meetings with elected officials.
Quintin opened a District 28 class‑size committee meeting by saying the session would focus on where the district stands now, and Raj, the district manager of operations and special projects, told parents that school leaders "submitted applications in December" and that "100% of the plans were submitted." Raj said the Department of Education’s InfoHub indicates schools should hear application decisions in late February, with a possible extension to mid‑March.
The filings are aimed at meeting a district target of 60% class‑size compliance this year, Raj said, with an 80% target set for next year. "Next year, the target is going to be 80%, so the conversation will look very different," he said, and district staff flagged that reaching higher targets could require annexes, extensions or new school construction.
Bruce, a United Federation of Teachers representative, said UFT, the principals’ groups and the DOE are reviewing applications and that the School Construction Authority has already visited several District 28 schools that applied for annexes. "SCA has visited MS 217 and junior high 1507," Bruce said, noting the SCA review flagged some applications elsewhere for apparent mismatches between requested staff and available space.
District staff and parents described site constraints that complicate on‑site expansion. Vic, a district team member who joined site walks with SCA, said a large tree beside MS 217 currently prevents fire‑truck access and that the parks department has so far refused to remove it—an obstacle to building an annex there. Vic offered rough, approximate cost examples for on‑site work: "the estimates were something around 80 to $100,000,000," with another "40 to $60,000,000" potentially required to bring an older building fully up to code, figures the district described as illustrative rather than final.
Parents raised concerns that rezoning and large new residential developments in Jamaica, Forest Hills and Rego Park will drive additional enrollment. Jessica Zillo, a committee member, asked "Where do those kids go to school?" Raj said the district is discussing options that include annexes, overflow to neighboring schools and reuse of vacated college campus space, but he cautioned that enrollment protocols and transportation constraints make those solutions complicated.
Several parents, led by Alicia Bauer (treasurer and council member), urged greater transparency from the School Construction Authority after describing principals’ difficulty tracking project status once money is allocated. "I've reached out to her 3 times, and she never responded," Bauer said of a promised follow‑up from a borough‑level contact. Raj and Vic said they would follow up with SCA and the borough president's office but noted SCA is an independent agency and that some contract or bidding details may be confidential.
Quintin and district staff said they are organizing a meeting that will bring SCA, district leaders and the borough president's office together with CEC members and principals to ask outstanding questions directly. The committee also plans a legislative breakfast to engage elected officials about school‑building needs and to press for commitments on timelines and resources.
The district emphasized next steps are contingent on DOE review of the December applications and on independent SCA assessments of sites. Raj repeated that the district will share information "providing that it's okay to share some of that information" and asked parents and CEC members to watch for meeting dates the district will circulate. The meeting adjourned with staff and parent leaders committed to follow‑up.
