Queens High School for the Sciences anticipates final hearing on Hillside building after DOE Support

On February 25, 2026, QHSS administration, students, and other community stakeholders will attend the Panel for Educational Policy, or PEP, meeting to advocate for the proposed relocation of QHSS to Building Q497, otherwise known as the Hillside Building. 

The 24-member committee, composed of appointees from the mayor, borough presidents, and CEC-appointed members, will be voting on other school utilization proposals that day. 

With DOE support already secured, the PEP vote will formally confirm QHSS’s re-siting. 

Prior to the DOE’s approval, QHSS received support from the Community Education Council of District 28, which has played a key role in the school’s advocacy efforts. During a meeting on June 12, 2025, CEC 28 members outlined the need to alleviate overcrowding and facilities challenges that QHSS currently experiences in Q774. They also noted that the move aligns with a broader citywide effort to increase the specialized high school seats in Queens and ensure equitable access to rigorous academic programs in New York City. 

The council formally urged the district superintendent and other municipal officials to advance the re-siting proposal. Their advocacy was a success, as Senior Executive Director of the Office of Policy and Advocacy Katie Jedrlinic wrote a formal letter to CEC28 showing her support on September 7, 2025. 

“This summer, we have worked alongside the Office of District Planning to support engagement around planning for high school seats in Queens, particularly how to use Q497 and space planning for Queens High School for the Sciences,” Jedrlinic wrote in the letter to CEC 28. 

Additionally, on January 9, 2026, Queens South High School Superintendent Josephine Van-Ess released a letter to QHSS families outlining the Department of Education’s proposal for the transition, as well as outlining expectations on conditions that the proposal is approved by PEP. Alongside the superintendent’s letter, an educational impact statement was released and sent to PEP. 

“QHSS students will be served in a brand-new building designed for high school students with amenities including a cafeteria, gymnatorium, library, music rooms, art rooms, science demo rooms, and science labs, many of which they do not currently have access to” reported the Public Joint Hearing Notice released alongside the superintendent’s letter and the educational impact statement.  

In addition to securing the backing of city officials, QHSS has taken a direct stand by voicing its own concerns regarding the matter. Chalkbeat NY reported that sophomore Vinny Dong delivered testimony to PEP in October on the lack of facilities for QHSS. Additionally, junior Angela Li wrote an opinion article regarding the school building that was awarded an Honorable Mention for the New York Post Scholars Contest. The NY Post also reported QHSS as one of the schools with the most submissions for the contest, with most of them written by other sophomores in Ms. Keeley and Ms. Monahan’s English class.  

Following the initial announcement on January 20, 2026 via ParentSquare, QHSS has continued to release frequent updates regarding the upcoming Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) public meeting. To bolster student involvement, the school is offering incentives such as community service hours and points toward the annual “Battle of the Grades” competition. In a coordinated effort to streamline attendance, the school community will travel together by bus from the campus to the meeting site.