QUEENS — A group of Forest Hills parents launched an online petition after the city told them their kindergartners would have to attend schools far from their zoned ones because lack of space.
Last week, the City sent letters to parents notifying them that there wasn't enough room in their zoned schools and that their kids would have to trek to schools elsewhere in the district.
In the parents' petition, which went live Tuesday, they demanded the Department of Education find a long term plan to "better adapt to the growing need for kindergarten seats in [the] community without causing overcrowding in the future."
They also call on schools to prioritize Pre-K children already in their schools so they're not sent away the following year for kindergarten.
The petition has already gathered more than 160 signatures, and the group also created a Facebook page called FH Zoned K for All Kids which had 206 members as of Thursday morning.
Dozens of students zoned for P.S. 196 and P.S. 144 were waitlisted and could be sent to other District 28 schools, sometimes outside of Forest Hills, including P.S. 206 and P.S. 139 in Rego Park and P.S. 117 in Briarwood, parents said.
“These parents are heartbroken,” said Pam Chowayou, whose son, zoned for P.S. 144, had been waitlisted and was offered a seat at P.S. 206 in Rego Park, 1.3 miles from their home.
“Now we have to look at other alternatives because it’s too far and people don’t have cars,” she said.
Chowayou's son was also placed on waitlists at two other Forest Hills schools, P.S. 196 and P.S. 101, she said.
"These children have a right to go to the school that they are zoned for," she said.
Last Saturday, a dozen affected families met to discuss the issue. The group hopes to work with the city to come to a solution, such as rezoning and holding classes in trailers, Chowayou said.
P.S. 196 has 150 kindergarten seats and waitlisted 52 kids. P.S. 144 offers 100 seats and has 64 students waiting, the Department of Education said last week.
The DOE would not immediately provide the current waitlist numbers, but parents said the waitlist for P.S. 144 grew to 70 students.
The Community Education Council for district 28 will discuss the issue during a meeting on May 7.
District 28 Community Education Council meeting will take place on May 7 at 90-27 Sutphin Blvd. in Jamaica at 6 p.m.
