An 18-wheeler truck beeps as it slowly backs into a construction lot on 2751 Jerome Ave. in Kingsbridge Heights. “Danger zone, hard hat area,” reads one sign as two men with bright orange helmets urge pedestrians to stay put as the truck moves into the grounds of P.S. 340. Above, a Woodlawn-bound 4 train rumbles past to its next destination. Across the street a noisy retaining wall job is also underway.

This project however, is strictly for the kids, as a Kingsbridge Heights elementary school is set to expand.

P.S. 340 will get more space, as a new four-story annex equipped with a so-called “gymnatorium” is set to be built by September 2021. The move to extend its current campus is a product of the Universal Physical Education Initiative first introduced by Mayor Bill De Blasio in June 2017.

The city’s School Construction Authority (SCA) and city Department of Education (DOE) are working together to accommodate approximately 200 schools that lack “adequate physical education space” through the initiative.  The goal of the initiative looks to “ensure all students have access to appropriate physical education space by 2021,” according to the New York City Council’s management report.

The $46 million annex will include 17 new classrooms, a reading room, a project room, a new gymnasium, an exercise room, a new library, a medical suite, additional staff rooms, a community room, and a new cafeteria with a kitchen for the Kindergarten through fifth grade school. The school had an enrollment of 628 students for the 2018-19 school year.

The new annex will be a change of scenery for locals, who have seen their fair share of construction at this location on Jerome Avenue. “I used to take my nephews here all the time to play basketball way back when they had hoops setup,” said Marilyn Phillips, a passerby who stopped to take a look into the demolition site. ”I’m glad they are expanding these schools for  more students to enroll in this area,” said Phillips.

Community District 10 elementary schools are notoriously overcrowded classrooms. Kevin Ortiz, manager of external affairs for the SCA, mapped out how the city has been working on this issue.

“As you know District 10 is an over-crowded district especially when it comes to elementary school seats, this is part of what we’re doing to address overcrowding in the district and to provide more seats,” said Ortiz in a phone interview with Norwood News. “We just wrapped up the 2015-2019 Capital Plan and the SCA funded 2,948 new seats for District 10 during the FY 2015-2019 period,” said Ortiz.

Along with the annex at P.S. 340, an annex will also be built for the Tim Dwight School (P.S. 33) at 2424 Jerome Ave. for September 2021 and a brand new 478 seat elementary school is anticipated to be built at 2355 Morris Ave. for September 2023.

“We just started the fiscal year 2020-2024 capital plan, we have allocated funds for an additional 3,036 seats across District 10. Anytime that we provide space and new seats and provide a good learning environment for our students, it’s a win-win for everyone,” said Ortiz.