Councilwoman Won tours new 725-seat middle school that is set to open in Sunnyside next week

City Council member Julie Won, center, visited a newly constructed middle school in Sunnyside that is set to open for the first time next week (Photos: Julie Won’s office and the School Construction Authority (SCA))

Aug. 31, 2023 By Michael Dorgan

City Council member Julie Won joined educators and the head of the School Construction Authority (SCA) in Sunnyside on Wednesday, Aug. 30, to view a newly constructed middle school that is set to open for the first time next week.

The new school, called I.S. 429, is located at 47-10 Barnett Ave. and features state-of-the-art classrooms as well as brand-new facilities such as a library, science labs music suites and a gymatorium. I.S. 429 also has a full kitchen and cafeteria, as well as a playground. It is situated next to the Sunnyside Towers co-op building.

The school can seat 725 students and more than 700 students have already enrolled for the upcoming school year, according to Won. The school will serve students living in Sunnyside and Woodside.

I.S. 429 will use a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) model to educate its students. The STEAM method aims to guide student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking.

A hallway inside the new school (Photo provided by the School Construction Authority)

Won was joined on the tour by Nina Kubota, the president and CEO of the School Construction Authority (SCA), as well as educators and former Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, who advocated for the school to be built while he was in office.

Won said she is thrilled about the new school opening and said it will provide local students with a quality public school education.

“When we visit schools, we hear from principals, staff, and parents about the issue of overcrowding and the need for more middle school seats,” Won said. “This investment will ensure that more students in Sunnyside and Woodside will be within walking distance of a middle school.”

She praised advocates such as Jimmy Van Bramer, the SCA and the Department of Education, as well as parents, for their combined efforts over the last few years to make the school a reality.

“Thank you to all of the parents for your years of advocacy, as well as the parents who participated in public feedback, which was all incorporated into building this school,” Won said. “We are excited to cut the ribbon on I.S. 429 in the fall!”

Kubota said that the new school has 24 standard classrooms, two special education classrooms, as well as art classrooms.

“I.S. 429 is the embodiment of everything we do at the SCA.,” Kubota said. “We are addressing overcrowding, especially in Queens while providing our students with the state-of-the-art facilities they need to learn and grow.”

She said that the 725 seats at the school are part of around 4,400 seats in total the SCA is adding to the city this year.

Won and Van Bramer at I.S. 429 in Sunnyside (Photo provided by Julie Won’s office)

Won was joined by former Council member Jimmy Van Bramer, educators, and Nina Kubota, the president and CEO of the School Construction (Photo provided by Julie Won’s office)