The overcrowding at Francis Lewis High School will soon have some much-needed relief.
The School Construction Authority announced on Tuesday that it had begun planning a new annex with over 500 seats at the Fresh Meadows high school.
The new, state-of-the-art, fully accessible, air-conditioned building will include at least 18 new instructional spaces, according to the SCA. It will also have a culinary arts room, a science lab, a greenhouse, locker rooms and a multi-purpose room.
According to enrollment statistics, Francis Lewis HS is operating at 199 percent capacity, making it one of the most overcrowded schools in New York City.
“When you have strong partnerships you find that creative solutions to tackling long standing challenges are easier to come by and this project is a testament to that,” said Lorraine Grillo, president and CEO of the SCA. “This new annex will provide much needed relief for the students and staff at Francis Lewis High School and while our search for new capacity to relieve overcrowding in Queens high schools continues, we are taking a significant step.”
Councilman Peter Koo said the new seats will replace the aging trailers and provide a new space for extracurricular activities, which will “go a long way to helping the students and staff succeed.”
“Francis Lewis High School has always maintained a high-level of academic excellence despite the overcrowding conditions,” said principal David Marmor. “This new annex will allow our school to have more programming flexibility along with providing our students with a 21st century learning environment.”