Parents, Lawmakers Urge City To Relieve Overcrowding At P.S. 116
July 21, 2008
An overcrowded Manhattan school is at the center of a dispute between the Bloomberg administration and some officials who represent the area. In question is whether the city is doing what it needs to to build new schools in some of the city's hottest new neighborhoods. Education reporter Michael Meenan filed the following report.
Parents say P.S. 116 in Kips Bay is bursting at the seams with kids. One mother said her daughters are paying a heavy price.
"They're suffering in terms of how much time the teacher can give each student, said P.S. 116 parent Annette Sofaer.
Parents say P.S. 116 is a victim of its own success. With many young families moving into the neighborhood to send their children there, the school has run out of space. The Department of Education says with 778 kids the school is at 105 percent of capacity. On Monday a bevy of elected officials said the mayor has ignored the overcrowding at P.S. 116 and other District 2 schools.
"We have given him unprecedented billions of dollars, not only for operating, but for capital to build more schools. Where is the plan?" said Assembly member Richard Gottfried.
"We don't want overcrowded good schools because you know what? Overcrowded good schools turn into bad schools, said State Senate member Thomas Duane.
The city hast 32 school districts. District 2 is one of the largest, sprawling from the tip of Manhattan up to East Harlem, with lots of new residential high rises going up. A congresswoman who represents part of the area says the city had no new school blueprints for the district to show at a meeting last week.
"We know that the real estate is valuable in this neighborhood, but there's no reason we can't invest in new schools, said Rep. Carolyn Maloney.
Deputy Mayor for Education Dennis Walcott says the Bloomberg administration has a very concrete plan to ease school overcrowding in District 2 and he says that Maloney and the other officials at the meeting last week were told of this plan.
"We'll be constructing 5,000 new seats in District 2 which will alleviate the overcrowding, he said.
Walcott says that means teaming up with developers to get school spaces in new buildings.
But in the short term, what about P.S. 116 with seven kindergarten classes in September and no more space?
"We're talking about another school site location and having that as an extension of 116 itself and how we plan responsibly for that, said Walcott.
Walcott says he's always open to checking out sites elected officials suggest as new school spaces.
Michael Meenan
July 21, 2008
Parents, Lawmakers Urge City To Relieve Overcrowding At P.S. 116
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