Department of Education Chancellor Carmen Fariña today announced that a 616-seat middle school will be built as part of the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park project at the Atlantic/Flatbush avenues intersection going east to Vanderbilt Avenue.
Farina made the announcement in response to a question from Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council Chair Gib Veconi on what kind of school is being planned for the area, which was mandated as part of the approval process for the mega 22-acre development that includes Barclays Center.
“The people in (school) District 13 will be delighted,” said Veconi, after hearing the surprise announcement. “This news is going to have a huge huge impact on families throughout District 13 so it’ve very exciting to hear the Chancellor make that commitment this morning.”
Veconi explained that the original thinking as to what kind of school would be built centered around it being a intermediate or primary school, or possibly a combination of both.
However, after many meeting between the community board, District 13 parents and educators and local elected officials it was decided that a middle school for 6th-, 7th- and 8th- graders was most needed he said.
Veconi said currently most of the middle schools in the district are on upper floors of primary schools with less than 100 students, and not enough resources essential to middle schoolers such as labs, athletic and performance facilities .
Among the elected officials supporting a middle school being sited in the development were Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery, Assembly Member Walter Mosley and City Council Member Laurie Cumbo.
Organizers lobbying for the middle school also have a comprehensive website at http://msonebrooklyn.com/.
