A New School Building For Tots

On the Upper East Side, a former garage will be transformed into a new school building — for the neighborhood’s youngest residents.

Council Member Julie Menin announced on Tuesday, December 6 that the School Construction Authority (SCA) has plans to develop the building it’s currently leasing at 403 East 65th Street, between First and York Avenues, to make way for up to 10 early childhood classes. In the blocks that comprise zip code 10065, there are not yet any stand-alone early childhood centers operated by the city, according to Menin’s office.

“Early childhood education is an incredible asset for so many children and working families across our city,” the council member said in a statement. “I have been working with the Administration since the launch of 3-K for All to secure additional services to meet the needs of Upper East Side families.” Upping the number of school seats in her district has been one of Menin’s goals since joining the City Council.

Creative Solutions

On the Upper East Side, Community School District 2 had 828 3-K seats and 1,888 pre-K seats at the outset of this year; a press release from Menin’s office stated that “the UES struggled to meet full demand as the district’s school space was limited.”

“Our Early Childhood Education system has long grappled with too many empty seats in some zip codes and long waitlists for seats in others,” Department of Education Chancellor David Banks said in a statement. “Our families and communities deserve better.”

The forthcoming classroom space on East 65th Street, for which more detailed plans aren’t expected until September of 2024, will span 30,000 square feet. “By taking a pragmatic approach [and] seeking opportunities to lease non-traditional space,” SCA President and CEO Nina Kubota said in a statement, “we’re opening up new possibilities that previously went untapped to ensure a greater availability of early education seats.”