A new middle school will be built in East Elmhurst to help fight overcrowding in local schools, announced Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland on Friday.

The new school is planned for a site at 111th Street and Astoria Boulevard and will serve about 600 students, Ferreras-Copeland said, though it still needs to be approved by City Council.

“Constructing schools to meet the needs of my community has been a challenge and a priority for me since day one. Every student deserves a beautiful space to learn,” Ferreras-Copeland said in a statement. “I have canvassed my district for the past six years to find adequate sites for schools, and I thank SCA for moving quickly to make this middle school a reality for families in East Elmhurst.”

While no timeline or budget has been announced for the project, it is slated to go up before the City Council in the next few months, and the design process is in the early stages.

According to Ferreras-Copeland’s office, there is still a need for at least 4,000 school seats in the district, and this school will help to decrease the need and fight overcrowding.

“A new middle school that will relieve school overcrowding is precisely what our community needs,” said Myrna Palacios, a Board member and parent leader in Queens for Make the Road New York. “Immigrant children and families like mine across Queens have suffered for too long due to inadequate classroom space and school facilities, and this new school will be an important step to ensuring that our children have the opportunity to thrive.”

This school will be the eighth school that Ferreras-Copeland has worked to build with the School Construction Authority since she took office in 2009.

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