Yonkers Welcomes U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at Opening Ceremony of New School Named In Her Honor

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Yonkers Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Mr. Aníbal Soler, Jr. along with local and state officials welcomed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to celebrate the opening of the Yonkers Public School District’s newly constructed school named in her honor.

Speaking at a program held at the new school on Monday, Mayor Spano said, “The Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community School is the first of its kind in our District and is a model moving forward as we continue to rebuild our schools. Our local schools are the heart of our neighborhoods and should be made accessible not only for educational enrichment, but also for the benefit of the families who live in the area. We are fortunate for the opportunity to welcome and dedicate a new school in recognition of the positive change Justice Sotomayor represents to our students and District.”

Mayor Spano added, “Today would not be possible without the commitment of the Yonkers State Delegation, our State leaders and school stakeholders in supporting our efforts to improve the environments in which our children learn. Let’s keep up the momentum in fighting for the needs our students and their families deserve.”

Among those attending the ceremony were Dr. Rosalba Corrado DelVecchio, Yonkers Board of Education President; Superintendent of School Aníbal Soler, Jr.; New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins; New York State Senator Shelley B. Mayer; New York Assemblyman Nader Sayegh; New York Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow; New York Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky and Yonkers City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy.

Located at 121 McLean Avenue, the community school will serve over 600 students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8^th grade and the local community. The Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community School is the first of three new schools to be constructed by the City of Yonkers in its efforts to rebuild the aging infrastructure of the Yonkers Public Schools. Built on the site of the former St. Denis Catholic School, the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community School is the first Yonkers Public School constructed since 2000 and is designed in accordance to the Yonkers green building standards. The new Yonkers Public School opened its doors to students on September 5, 2024.

Designed as a community school, the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community School features multi-functional spaces that are accessible evenings and weekends without the need to open the entire school building. Special amenities include a multi-purpose gymnasium and meeting room with stage; a full-sized basketball court and locker rooms; a cafeteria and meeting room with full kitchen; and a health suite with two exam rooms and a dental exam room.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community School will also serve as a new Dual Language school that provides students with a rigorous academic program of instruction affirming multilingualism and multiculturalism, as well as the social, emotional, and intellectual development of each child.