BROOKLYN — Quality teaching, safety and small classes are a few of the key factors school officials should strive for while redesigning a Brooklyn middle school, parents said Thursday during a public forum.
For some, it was even more clear what a good middle school needs. "Longer lunches," one 10-year-old boy said.
For Linda Muniz, who has a fifth-grade daughter at P.S. 133, proximity to home is another key factor. She is considering moving her daughter to a District 15 school to keep her in Park Slope rather than stay in District 13, which extends to Fort Greene and Vinegar Hill.
About two-dozen parents attended Thursday night's meeting at P.S. 133 in Park Slope, to answer questions like, "What does a good middle school look like to you?" and "What are your priorities when selecting a good middle school?" The Park Slope meeting was one of four scheduled public forums.
Schools leaders are using the answers from the events to plan the redesign of Satellite West Middle School (M.S. 313) in Vinegar Hill, which may be moved to a brand new Dock Street building in DUMBO next school year.
"We want this to be a collaborative effort," said M.S. 313 principal Melissa Vaughan.
The Panel for Educational Policy is scheduled to vote during its Nov. 19 meeting on the proposal to relocate M.S. 313 from 209 York St. to a new Two Trees development rising at 19 Dock St.
But the middle school, which has struggled with shrinking enrollment, will undergo a redesign this year whether the move is approved or not, school officials said.
The school's redesign, which will affect academic programming, is being informed by community feedback during these middle school forums held throughout November. The final two forums will take place Nov. 16 at M.S. 313 at 209 York St. and Nov. 30 at P.S. 11 at 419 Waverly Ave. beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Once the feedback has been collected, the findings will be analyzed and discussed at a community meeting, district superintendent Barbara Freeman said.
"Because the redesign would be guided by community feedback and aligned to the vision articulated by the District 13 community, the DOE expects community demand for Satellite West to grow and for enrollment to increase," according to the DOE proposal.
School leaders in District 13 however have slammed the DOE for backtracking on a plan to open a new middle school in the Dock Street building, rather than move an existing one.
M.S. 313, which serves 86 students, was placed on the state's "persistently dangerous" list this year although some say the label is unwarranted.
During a presentation last month, DOE officials said the move to DUMBO would allow M.S. 313 "to grow and make use of new middle school space." The new building would also offer amenities like a science lab, music suite and practice cubicles, according to the proposal.
M.S. 313 currently shares a building with P.S. 307. Its proposed move to Dock Street is a crucial part of a District 13 rezoning proposal that would expand P.S. 307's enrollment, DOE officials said.
