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PRE-K SEATS continued from p. 1

added at Third Ave. and E. 95th St., as well as on E. 57th St. and E. 82nd St. Next fall, a fourth pre-k is expected to open on E. 76th St. with another 180 seats — bringing the total of new seats to more than 450 in two years. “Literally, we’ve been fighting for every single seat,” Kallos said, explaining he pressed Extell Development to add pre-k seats at its project at Third Ave. and 95th St. and has waged a campaign to retrofit commercial storefronts as pre-k centers. Last school year, 736 families on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island applied for just 550 pre-k spots in those neighborhoods. By next fall, the new facilities will bring the total number of seats to more than 900. But Kallos said that based on birth statistics and the more recent push for universal 3-k, he thinks the neighborhood needs another 5,000 school seats — lest families leave the city or have to opt for expensive private school alternatives. “I definitely commend the city in making a lot of positive steps forward,” said Semaya, whose daughter is now in kindergarten. “There’s no doubt that they listened,” but, she added, “we’ll see how it’s executed and how it plays out in the community next year once they have a lot of seats.” The city’s School Construction Authority is increasingly turning toward developers for pre-k space, CommercialOberver.com reports. “In the middle of Manhattan, it’s sometimes hard to stop new development from building up because there’s an as-of-right to build many buildings, and there’s a lot of interest in continuing to build around Manhattan,” Councilmember Powers explained to Manhattan Express. “One of the things that Councilmember Kallos and myself try to focus on

CAREGIVER CANDIDATES continued from p. 1

(CFB) executive director Amy Loprest said the child care costs should count toward a candidate’s spending cap of $190,000 each for the primary and general election and, further, only be allowed for child care funds during an election year. According to Powers’ office, details in the bill are still being finalized. Though the specifics of the legislation and its implementation are not yet set in stone, Matt Sollars, a spokesperson for the CFB, said the board is pleased the Council has shown a willingness to address its concerns. The CFB oversees one of the most comprehensive public financing programs in the nation, where money

Photo by Jeff Reed

Lorraine Grillo, then the president of the city’s School Construction Authority, Aneesha Jacko, director of Early Childhood Education for District 2 at the Department of Education, State Assemblymember Dan Quart, City Councilmembers Keith Powers and Ben Kallos, and State Senator Liz Krueger at the ribbon cutting of a new pre-K facility earlier this year.

is taking some of that burden out and when they do come to us with a project to say, ‘Can we help mitigate already existing problems there?’” Powers added, “You’re not going to be able to win the fight against all new development in Manhattan, but what you can do is to make sure you’re addressing existing needs like pre-k seats.” In addition to Extell’s lease to the School Construction Authority on Third Ave. and 95th St., the 144 seats that just opened on E. 57th St. and Second Ave. in a 65-story tower came from a deal made when Powers was chief of staff to former Assemblymember Jonathan Bing more than half a

dozen years ago. Kallos also presses developers for pre-k seats in new buildings. “When I meet with developers, my only request is, ‘Can you build school seats?,’” he said. “‘And if you are open [to that], do you need me to have the city pay you at market rate? Would you like additional height for those school seats?’ But I’m going to do whatever I can for those school seats.” Kallos was blunt, however, in saying what he does not do in his bargaining with developers. “While some of my colleagues may solicit contributions from real estate developers, I do not,” he said.

raised by candidates receives public matching dollars of up to six times the level of private donations. The measure comes at a critical point in the city’s political cycle, with 36 of 51 councilembers and all three of the citywide elected officials unable, under the term limit law, to seek reelection in 2021 — though Public Advocate Letitia James is likely to leave office early if, as expected, she wins election as state attorney general next month. Manhattan’s term-limited councilmembers include Speaker Corey Johnson as well as Ben Kallos, Helen Rosenthal, Mark Levine, Margaret Chin, and Ydanis Rodriguez. Should a special election be needed to fill James’ vacany early next year, the Powers-Cumbo bill would not be implemented in time for that contest.

“We didn’t want to throw [the CFB] under the bus by putting it immediately into place right now, but we wanted to get it ready for ‘21 when the entire city government will basically be up for election,” Powers said. The bill was originally inspired by a Federal Election Commission decision in favor of Democrat Liuba Grechen Shirley, who is challenging 25-year Republican incumbent Peter King in the second congressional district on Long Island. Shirley had previously worked from home while raising children. In early May, as the June 26 Democratic primary loomed closer, Shirley asked the FEC if she could apply campaign funds to pay for childcare services she wouldn’t otherwise have if she weren’t running for office. The FEC said yes, and Shirley won her primary. She faces King on Nov. 6.

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Victoria Schneps-Yunis Manhattan Express, the newspaper for Midtown and the Upper East and Upper West Sides PUBLISHED BY

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October 18, 2018