Hearing Spotlights Squeezed
Schools
Hundreds of community members, educators, students and politicians packed into the cafeteria of PS 246 in Fordham Bedford for a public hearing on overcrowding on Oct. 12, held by Community School Board 10. "The situation you find yourself in now is a situation we find ourselves in on a daily basis," said PS 246 principal Frank Gonzalez, addressing the adults and kids crammed in at the lunch tables that served as seating. "My teachers and my staff do a tremendous job, but we need your help." Fifty people signed up to testify at the hearing about the overcrowded conditions students and teachers endure and to bring attention to the decrepit condition of many school buildings.
Paolo was cheered on by a large group of her students holding signs that read, "We have the moves, just not the space," "We can't even turn around without bumping into someone," and "We dance on cement." PS/MS 95 principal Doris Budow complained that her school was heavily overcrowded with an enrollment of 1,827 students. The school has a capacity of just 900 and houses about 250 students in leased spaces at two local annexes. "Not one of the new schools [built last year] has impacted our student population," Budow said. A teacher from PS/MS 95 added to Budow's comments. "I've taught classes of 37 in second grade," she said. "I've taught in a bathroom and a vestibule. Our school is bursting." She added that it was difficult for students to enter the computer age when the school barely had enough room for desks. Several parents who spoke at the meeting criticized the board for focusing on getting funds for MS 141 and MS 368, both schools in Riverdale, while ignoring other district schools. MS 141 is being revamped to include high school grades and will be more tightly zoned for Riverdale students, while MS 368 is slotted to be built and is currently being housed in the Riverdale Community Center. (MS 368 will absorb those students zoned out of MS 141.) "This district is not getting schools because $60 million is being used for 141, a school that is already built, and 368," said Bronx Dance Academy parent June McMillan. "We need to free up some of that money until 368 is approved to be built." Meanwhile, other parents called on the board and the assembled officials to take immediate action to alleviate overcrowding. Parent Robert Press urged the board to investigate the potential for space at Lehman College, while PS 20 parent Jose Pena criticized the city administration for failing to use its tax surplus to alleviate overcrowding. Parent Ronn Jordan urged politicians to support a bill in Congress that would provide funds to help modernize schools, including $1.5 billion for New York City schools. Officials and residents also expressed support for a community proposal to build schools in the Kingsbridge Armory, which the mayor is now proposing to convert into a shopping and recreation center. Randi Weingarten, president of the city United Federation of Teachers (UFT), also delivered a message endorsing such a plan, read by the UFT's district representative, Marsha Silberman. Councilman Adolfo Carrion announced that he was holding a hearing to discuss the armory on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. at City Hall. (Other elected officials in attendance were Assemblymen Jeffrey Dinowitz and Peter Rivera and Councilwoman June Eisland.) Overcrowding has been a long-standing problem in District 10 and officials estimate that 6,500 students now learn in nontraditional classrooms in leased facilities like churches and community centers and in transportable classrooms set up in schoolyards throughout the district. Many more schools have sacrificed libraries, computer labs and gymnasiums to make room for classes. The district is so overcrowded, pointed out Superintendent Irma Zardoya, that it could lose millions of dollars from a state Early Grade Class Size Reduction Program because it does not have the space to create new classrooms for early grades. Dinowitz and State Senator Eric Schneiderman recently introduced legislation to amend this program to include alternative methods of class size reduction, including placing two teachers in one classroom. For now, no relief is in sight for local schools, since the current capital plan, which runs through 2004, includes no new construction in the district. School board member Eleanor Leinen urged community members to keep up the pressure to get funding for more schools. "It's great to have meetings like this because it brings up the level of awareness," she said, "but it's not enough." Board president Oliver Koppell said he was "delighted" by the large turnout. And despite the fact that his board does not have the power to appropriate monies for school construction, he said they would continue to fight for District 10's fair share. "We can only push the powers that be," he said.
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Bronx Dance Academy director Lisa Paolo urged the board to find a new
home for her school, which is currently housed in transportable classrooms
located behind MS 80 in Norwood. The two schools combined have 3,000
students and share an auditorium, schoolyard and gymnasium. "We had
200 people apply for our program last year," Paolo said, "but we
could only accept 30 because of lack of space."