DOE URGED: BUILD H.S. IN BUSHWICK

Students from P.S. 151, P.S./I.S. 384 and P.S./I.S. 387 were recognized by the Community Education Council District 32 for their school activities during the advisory body's Dec. 18 meeting in Bushwick. As shown, CEC President Abiodun Bello and the schools' respective principals, Jeanette Sosa, Brunhilda Perez-Ortiz and Dominic Zagami, recognized their pupils for academic achievement, community services and their overall improvement. Students and parents at last Thursday's Community Education Council District 32 meeting called on the Department of Education to provide funding in its next fiveyear capital plan toward the construction of a new high school in Bushwick.

During the Dec. 18 session at P.S./I.S. 384, council members and teenagers from the neighborhood urged a DOE official in attendance to work toward creating new high school seats in the area, noting that the entire community is currently served by only one secondary school for students in grades nine through 12.

Young pianists delighted the audience at last Thursday's CEC 32 meeting at P.S./I.S. 384, as they provided some holiday cheer with their rendition of "Jingle Bells." Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm had been scheduled to speak about the capital plan, but was unable to attend. Taking her place was her chief of staff, Jeffrey Shear, who reviewed the details of the plan in which $11.3 billion in improvements are scheduled to be made.

Currently, the DOE and the School Construction Authority are in the final stages of the five-year capital plan concluding at the end of Fiscal Year 2009 on June 30. To date, Shear said, over $120 million in projects have either been completed or are underway in District 32, including brick refacing and waterproofing at 21 schools, construction of science labs at three campuses, eight electrical projects and five playgrounds.

Additional funding of over $4.5 million secured by local elected officials has also been used for 10 additional school construction projects, he added.

In the first year of the new fiveyear capital plan, Shear explained, the city will spend $8.3 million on four construction projects in District 32. He noted that electrical systems will be upgraded at P.S./I.S. 384 and P.S. 151, while P.S. 45 will undergo window replacement and exterior masonry improvements.

The rest of the plan has yet to be finalized, and Shear invited all parents, council members and others involved in education to submit their comments to the DOE. While noting that he couldn't guarantee that all of the recommended projects would be done, he stated that the agency would take their recommendations "seriously."

But two individuals involved with local action group Make the Road New York—Jaritza Geigel and Iris Martinez—pressed the DOE representative to secure funding for the construction of a new high school in District 32 to meet the needs of a growing teenage population.

Geigel noted that local eighthgraders have only one high school in the neighborhood to choose to attend upon graduation—the Bushwick Campus high schools, four small secondary schools housed in what was once known as Bushwick High School.

With only a select number of freshman seats available at the campus school, Geigel—a sophomore at one of the Bushwick Campus schools, the School for Social Justice—said most youngsters must travel outside the community to attend high schools in Brooklyn and Queens.

"In the last five years, there haven't been enough ninth-grade seats in my community high school to hold the number of eighth-grade students enrolled at local middle schools," she said. "It is not fair to students that do not have the opportunity to continue their studies in our own communities. Not only is it unfair to our students, but also to our parents."

Though she has already graduated from the School for Social Justice, Martinez noted that she had to travel several miles outside the community to receive the education she needed. With the population of children rising in Bushwick since 2000, she observed, the time was right for the city to plan ahead for their high school years.

"Unless we build seats now, we can project the number of students who will have to travel outside the community will grow," she said. "This is because Bushwick's population has grown by 20,000 people since 2000, the fifth-largest growth of any community in New York City. The data tells us that 43 percent of Bushwick households have children under the age of 18. It is a young community with many school-aged children."

But Shear noted that in plotting the creation of new high school seats, the DOE considered the entire borough of Brooklyn in general in determining where extra space is needed. In recent years, he stated, more than 5,000 seats have either been added or are in the process of being installed at locations throughout Kings County, including All City Leadership High School.

Even so, the population of high school-age children in Brooklyn and the city has declined as a whole, Shear said. As a result, only one high school is currently proposed to be constructed in Brooklyn (at Spring Creek) in the next capital plan.

"Families have been having, on the whole, fewer children and working people are staying in New York for their retirement," he stated. "So the overall student population is declining. Plus, we have fewer resources. We don't see a way of expanding the number of seats other than what I have mentioned."

Several education council members expressed disapproval and urged the DOE to reconsider. Jacqueline D'Anjou-Parchment observed that a new high school is needed to not only ensure that families stay in the community, but also that children receive the education they need to succeed.

"Parents won't choose to stay if they don't see a future," she said.

Echoing those sentiments was Christina Tejada, who stated that the creation of a new high school increases the opportunity for local children to pursue a higher education.

The president of CEC 32, Abiodun Bello, stated that the advisory body would launch a campaign with parents and elected officials to have a new high school built in the area.

Council's recommendations

Before the DOE representative's arrival, council members listed a number of improvements they would like to see made at local schools as part of the new five-year capital plan.

Elizabeth Rodriguez recommended that the School Construction Authority provide electrical improvements to the current system at P.S. 145. The schoolhouse is more than a century old and, with the introduction of computers, has an outdated wiring system in need of an upgrade.

In that vein, CEC President Bello expanded that request to include five other public schools in the Bushwick area that are also over 100 years old.

Tejada also asked that the council request a new public address system at P.S. 349 and the creation of a larger office for the parent coordinator at P.S. 347. Currently, she noted, the coordinator works out of a 25 sq. ft. office space that is sometimes packed with waiting parents.

Secretary Victorina Lugo called for new exterior fencing to be installed at P.S. 86 and the installation of new fire alarms to go along with improvements currently underway at P.S. 151.

Parchment also asked that the DOE remove asbestos from behind a temporary wall at a hallway inside I.S. 383. The wall was installed to protect students from the hazardous substance after it was discovered several years ago.

Superintendent's report

Parents of students eligible to enter middle and intermediate school in September 2009 have until Jan. 9 to submit their applications listing the preferred choices, announced Community Superintendent Lilian Druck. The forms were made available to families earlier in December.

Additionally, Druck announced that the state English Language Arts exam will be administered to students from third through eighth grade next month. The text will be given to third- and fifth-graders on Jan. 13 and 14; fourth graders on Jan. 13, 14 and 15; sixth-graders on Jan. 21, 22 and 23; and seventh- and eighth-graders on Jan. 21 and 22.

Honored for academics

Students from three local public schools were presented with awards recognizing their efforts during the school year. Bello and each school principal presented certificates of recognition to each of the pupils.

From P.S. 151, Devin Velez was awarded as the most improved student, Genecis Rodriguez was recognized for community service and Arlenys Severino was honored for academic achievement. They were joined at the ceremony by their principal, Jeanette Sosa.

Also receiving awards were students from P.S./I.S. 384: Johnathan Torres for community service and Marlenes Rodriguez for most improved student. Principal Brunhilda Perez-Ortiz joined them for the award ceremony. Not in attendance was Yoselin Serita, who was recognized for academic achievement.

None of the students from P.S./I.S. 377 honored for achievement were on hand to receive their awards.

They included Rita Doye for academic achievement, Alysha Piler for community service and Noemi Herrera as most improved student. Principal Dominic Zagami came to accept the certificates on their behalf.

Holiday music

Prior to the meeting, residents were treated to a piano recital by P.S. 384 students. Included in the program was a performance of the Christmas classic "Jingle Bells" by first- and second-graders under the direction of music teacher Fatima Rodriguez.

Following the youngsters to the stage were members of P.S. 384's Project Arts program, who performed a hip-hop dance number.

Community Education Council District 32 generally meets on the third Thursday each month at locations throughout Bushwick. For more information, call 1-718-574- 1203.