A federal grant of more than $1.8 million will help to pay for repairs to the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Sandy at PS 207, legislators announced this week. File Photo
When students at PS 207 in Howard Beach left their school on Oct. 26, 2012, they, and their teachers, assumed they would be back soon, despite the warnings of a serious storm headed their way. After all, many of the pupils – and adults – had grown up by the water and had seen storms and hurricanes come and go before.
Instead, when Hurricane Sandy struck Queens, PS 207 was one of the schools hardest hit by the devastating storm, with 19 feet of water flooding the neighborhood institution. Water poured into the facility at 159-15 88 St., filling the entire basement and causing a fuel oil tank to tip – spilling an estimated 3,000 gallons of oil, a wall to collapse and a host of other problems, including issues with asbestos and mold. Flood waters damaged two boilers in the basement, and the electrical, heating and fire alarm systems were destroyed.
A total of about 84,475 gallons of water and oil were ultimately removed from the school, which was founded in 1965 and is home to pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Students – many of whom had been flooded out of their own homes – were unable to return to PS 207 until January and instead were re-located to another site, where teachers had to struggle to get basic supplies – construction paper, scissors, pens – to ensure that life would go on as normally as possible.
Finally, after two months, the children were able to go back – but life has not been the same for PS 207, which, for example, has been operating without a fire alarm system since the students’ return. In lieu of an operating fire alarm system, the city Department of Education has posted individuals known as “fire watchers” in the building – or people whose job it is keep an eye out for flames or smoke. Parents have been outraged by this, saying it could be a disaster waiting to happen because pupils may not be able to exit as quickly during a blaze as they could have with a fire alarm system.
But, as of this week, it appears as though relief is headed for PS 207.
U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) announced Monday that $1.86 million in federal funds has been allocated to repair Sandy-inflicted damage at the school. This funding will, according to the legislators, reimburse 90 percent of the cost of all the repairs needed in the building.
Additionally, the city DOE said it has “made a commitment” to start work on replacing the fire alarm system during the Christmas holiday. Bids for the fire alarm work are expected to go out this week, and some of the federal funding could help to pay for the repairs.
“This is a huge opportunity for 207 to not only rebuild, but to rebuild stronger,” Goldfeder said. “After the storm, we were rushing to do whatever it took to get everybody back in – we didn’t have time to think about building stronger and better. This money gives us that opportunity.”
The grant, which comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will pass the $1,861,901 to the state Office of Management and Budget, which then gives it to the city Construction Authority.
“This infusion of federal money is helping PS 207 Rockwood Park put the damaging effects of Hurricane Sandy in the rear-view mirror and enabling the school to get back to educating New York City’s children without crushing back-bills,” Schumer said in a prepared statement.
Gillibrand too praised FEMA for awarding this money.
“Federal investment will give our schools the tools they need to rebuild and help our children displaced by the storm return to normalcy as quickly as possible.”
By Anna Gustafson
