THE C ITY OF NEW YOR K OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN SCOTT M. STRINGER BOROUGH PRESIDENT INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS REPORTING PROBLEMS RELATING TO PHYSICAL FACILITIES BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN APRIL 2010 MUNICIPAL B UILDING ❖ 1 CENTRE S TREET ❖ N EW YOR K , NY 10007 P HONE (212) 669-8300 F AX (212) 669-4305 www.mbpo.org [email protected] Page 2 The information below describes the scale of space utilization problems in public elementary and middle schools in Manhattan. The descriptions are based on reports made to our office by parents, teachers, and school administrators during the past year. Reported problems are found in every residential neighborhood in Manhattan, encompassing uptown and downtown, east side and west side, and in communities of every cultural, ethnic and income demographic. The narratives are organized into three categories: I. Overcrowded which suggests that the school is overcapacity or has waitlists. II. Substandard Learning Facility which relates to lack of cluster space, graffiti on school walls, or trailers used as classrooms. III. Destabilized School Community which implies a fear of or concern about an imminent relocation or tension related to a co-located school. Each school is placed under the category with which it most closely aligns. In addition, there is a note about whether the school is co-located. To provide a complete and accurate snapshot of overcrowding, the corresponding map includes schools identified as “overcrowded” by our office in our third and most recent “Crowded Out” report, issued in September 2009. These situations are multi-faceted and deeply emotional for many of the parties involved, and the narratives below reflect many of the stories that we hear on a daily basis. There may be other, conflicting perspectives which have been excluded from this catalogue, simply because this information is derived from stakeholders who have actively sought out our office and not the entire universe of stakeholders involved in every school. Despite the subjective nature of the data, which is somewhat inherent to community input, we believe that the sheer number of these reports suggests that DOE’s planning for space has been haphazard, shortsighted, and detrimental to many school communities. Page 3 I. OVERCROWDED 02M003 P.S. 3 (Charrette School) is co-located with Greenwich Village Middle School (GVMS) (M896). P.S. 3 faces ongoing overcrowding problems. In the 2009-2010 school year, the DOE relocated two Pre-K classes from P.S. 3 to Greenwich House in order to accommodate a waitlist of 91 Kindergarten students. 02M006 P.S. 6 (Lillie D. Blake School) has faced ongoing overcrowding problems and was overenrolled by 23 students in April 2009. 02M011 P.S. 11 (William T. Harris) is co-located with M.S. Clinton School for Writers & Artists. Both P.S. 11 and Clinton need more space and share a building that is currently facing severe overcrowding problems. P.S. 11 has lost cluster rooms and reading resource rooms in the past few years. Members of the P.S. 11 school community have stated that they are at risk of losing state and federal funding if their class sizes increase, as well as Title 1 funding. Last year, the DOE committed to move Clinton out of P.S. 11 so both schools would have the opportunity to grow. A proposal by the DOE to relocate Clinton is currently under review, but no decisions have been finalized. 02M041 P.S. 41 (Greenwich Village School) is overcrowded. In the 2009-2010 school year, the DOE had to relocate one of the school’s Pre-K classes to Greenwich House to alleviate overcrowding and waitlist problems. 02M059 P.S. 59 (Beekman Hill International School) was overenrolled by 45 students last April, according to the DOE. The Department resolved the school’s waitlist problem by having parents select alternate schools throughout the summer of 2009. P.S. 59 faces similar overcrowding and waitlist problems this year. 02M089 P.S. 89 is co-located with I.S. 289. Until last year, P.S. 89 was one of only two elementary schools in lower Manhattan (along with P.S. 234). Combined with a residential boom and failure on the part of the DOE to plan proactively for school seat creation, the school has faced serious, ongoing overcrowding problems. 02M158 P.S. 158 (Bayard Taylor School) is co-located with East Side Middle School. As a result of overcrowding, the DOE will have to relocate East Side Middle School to another building. In the 2010-2011 school year, the DOE will incubate a new school, P.S. 267, in the building. This will require P.S. 158 and P.S. 267 to share small common spaces including the cafeteria and back yard. Page 4 02M183 P.S. 183 (Robert L. Stevenson School) was overenrolled last year and had a waitlist that the DOE resolved by having parents select alternate schools throughout the summer of 2009. P.S. 183 faces similar overcrowding and waitlist issues again this year. 02M234 P.S. 234 (Independence School) was, until last year, one of only two elementary schools in lower Manhattan (along with P.S. 89). Combined with a residential boom and failure on the part of the DOE to plan proactively for school seat creation, the school has faced serious, ongoing overcrowding problems. To address overcrowding, the DOE utilizes space in an annex and at Manhattan Youth, an after school organization. DOE efforts to address overcrowding through a temporary rezoning have not resolved the problem. P.S. 234 will require a lottery in 2010 because it cannot accommodate all the children in its zone. 02M290 P.S. 290 (Manhattan New School) was overenrolled by 40 students last April. The Department resolved the school’s waitlist problem by having parents select alternate schools throughout the summer of 2009. P.S. 290 faces similar overcrowding and waitlist problems this year. 03M009 P.S. 9 (Sarah Anderson School) is co-located with M.S. 243 (The Center School). As of March 2010, P.S. 9 was at 103 percent utilization, and is at risk of being over 100 percent capacity again next year. 03M075 P.S. 75 (Emily Dickenson School) is co-located with M.S. 250 (West Side Collaborative Middle School). Lunch starts as early as 10:00 am for some students, to allow both schools access to the cafeteria throughout the day. Scheduling enough gym classes for each grade in a given week has been a challenge due to the large number of students in the building and the range of students’ ages. 03M087 P.S. 87 (William Sherman School ). At 121 percent capacity, P.S. 87 is the most overcrowded school in District 3, with a waitlist in March 2010 of more than 110 in-zone students. Ongoing overcrowding problems have resulted in P.S. 87 losing cluster rooms, and out-of-catchment siblings can no longer attend P.S. 87 with their older siblings. 03M163 P.S. 163 (Alfred E. Smith School) . P.S. 163’s Kindergarten classes are in two trailers that were supposed to be temporary, but which have now been behind the school for 10 years. Concerns have been raised about children being in a learning environment that is meant to be temporary, which subjects them to restricted space and makes them feel like they are not a real part of the school. 03M165 P.S. 165 (Robert Simon School) is overcrowded with capacity at over 100 percent, and a waitlist for September 2010. Page 5 03M166 P.S. 166 (The Richard Rogers School of the Arts and Technology) . P.S. 166 is operating at over 100 percent capacity. The school may risk losing their Dual Language program if it is required to make room for additional students both in and outside of its immediate zone. The school currently has a waitlist for September 2010 . 03M199 P.S. 199 (Jessie Isador Straus School) was co-located with The Center School until last year. However, significant overcrowding problems led the DOE to relocate The Center School to create additional seats for students in the P.S. 199 zone. As of March 2010, P.S. 199 was at 99 percent capacity with more than 50 in-zone students on its waitlist for the 2010-2011 school year. Due to ongoing overcrowding problems, out-of-catchment siblings are no longer able to attend P.S. 199 with their older siblings. Page 6 II. SUBSTANDARD FACILITY 01M020 P.S. 20 (Anna Silver School) . In 2009, the DOE explored different space distribution scenarios in its Lower East Side schools that would allow for the expansion of Girls Preparatory Charter School. One option DOE considered was relocating the School for Global Leaders from its current building into P.S. 20. This move would have resulted in P.S. 20 losing all of its cluster rooms. The DOE did not move forward with this proposal. 01M184 P.S. 184 (Shuang Wen School) . In 2009, the DOE explored different space distribution scenarios in its Lower East Side schools that would allow for the expansion of Girls Preparatory Charter School. Members of the Shuang Wen school community objected to one DOE proposal that would have relocated District 75 students to their school which, they felt, would restrict their ability to expand and fulfill the potential of their dual language program. The DOE did not move forward with this proposal. 84M188 Girls Preparatory Charter School (M188) is co-located with P.S. 188 (The Island School) and P.S. 94, a District 75 school. Last year Girls Prep expressed interest in expanding to serve middle school grades. The DOE explored different space distribution scenarios in its Lower East Side schools that would have allowed the school to expand, and ultimately released a proposal to keep Girls Prep in the M188 building.