Renovations are currently underway at an elementary school along the Jerome Avenue corridor in Fordham.
The P.S. 33 Tim Dwight School annex has been undergoing a massive, elaborate renovation at its 2424 Jerome Avenue campus thanks to a collaboration between the NYC School Construction Authority, the NYC Department of Education and local elected officials such as Assemblyman Victor Pichardo, Councilman Fernando Cabrera and other elected officials.
P.S. 33 currently enrolls almost 850 students, from Pre-K through 5th Grade as well as having a dedicated special education program that will utilize the new annex, which will also be creating an additional 388 classroom seats once the renovations are complete.
The $70 million renovations of P.S. 33, will include adding new classroom seats to the school, a library, an exercise room, a medical suite, a kitchen and a student cafeteria, a project room, a new playground and other necessary learning utilities available to the students.
“The P.S. 33 annex tells the story of neighbors who came together, with city agencies and elected officials to ensure that these students can get an education in a new, well-equipped, state of the art learning environment,” said Councilman Cabrera, who added that P.S. 33 is one of the most overcrowded school districts in the city.
“Throughout the process of developing the Jerome Avenue Neighborhood plan, I affirmed my commitment to this community by insisting on investments in housing, healthcare, economic development and education,” Cabrera said.
He joined his colleagues in government over the summer to literally stick a shovel in the ground to begin the revamp of the annex.
Its completion is slated for the 2021 school year and it remains on pace to open on time, according to Pichardo’s office.
“Schools are a critical aspect in the development of our students into future leaders,” said Assemblyman Pichardo. “Therefore, I am happy to welcome schools such as P.S. 33 who have administration, faculty and teachers who, day in and day out, work to ensure their students’ success.”
“This new annex is extremely important to the continuing success of P.S. 33, as it will provide more space for this school to carry on in bettering every single student who comes through its doors,” the assemblyman added.
Even Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. shared his excitement for the project.
“With so many Bronx schools currently overcrowded, the P.S. 33 annex will go a long way in accommodating our children so they can comfortably learn and get the most out of their time in class,” said Diaz. “This amenity-rich and fully accessible annex will enhance the experience of current students in a meaningful way as well as accommodate new students as our population grows,” the borough president continued.
“P.S. 33 is a model of how we should be investing more in our school infrastructure so that all students can benefit from a quality education,” Diaz added.
The project was slated to move forward since the late fall of 2017 along with several schools in the west Bronx.
