By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CHELSEA — A controversial plan to close a special needs school and scatter disabled and autistic students across other education facilities has been scrapped by the city.
The plan to relocate the students of P.S. 138 from their Ninth Avenue space — to make room for students from other schools — drew fire from Chelsea parents, and the Department of Education had scheduled a hearing for this week. But that hearing was cancelled late last week.
“We have ultimately decided that it is best not to split this program up,” said DOE spokesperson Jack Zarin-Rosenfeld.
“It is our intent to fully engage with the parents, school communities, elected officials, and Community Education Councils affected by this proposal.”
P.S. 138 currently shares space with P.S. 33. The proposed move would have freed up classroom space for more students at P.S. 11 on W. 21st Street by moving the Clinton School for Writers and Artists into P.S. 33 building.
Instead, the Clinton School will move to the American Sign Language and English Lower School on E. 23rd Street, displacing students from the Quest to Learn Program, who were already slated to move to the Bayard Rustin Education Complex at W. 18th Street.
“We’re very happy about that,” said Pat Jewett, head of P.S. 138’s PTA, referring to the fact that the students won't be displaced. “This would have taken kids who have five steps forward and made them go 30 steps back.”
But Jewett said the new plan is not without faults. Although Chelsea's P.S. 138 won't be moved, she fears two classrooms for P.S. 138 students with special needs at the American Sign Language and English Lower School may be given over to the Clinton School to handle student overflow. The Environmental Impact Statement says P.S. 138 at the Gramercy location currently has 12 rooms but only requires 10 next fall.
“There’s still an adverse affect on a special-needs population,” Jewett said. “We still have to fight it. This is a never-ending domino effect.”
Zarin-Rosenfeld said that the school shouldn't lose any space in the move though.
