By Josh Williams
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
BATTERY PARK CITY — Parents of children who don't get admitted to their first choice of public elementary school should have a say in the second choice, a resolution passed by Community Board 1 said.
As it stands, children get placed by the Department of Education in a school where there's room, and not necessarily in the neighborhood, if there's no space in the parents' first choice.
"Please vote in support of this referendum, it's incredibly important," said parent Annaeliese Pfeil, who lives on Warren Street and attended the meeting with her children.
Parents are concerned that their child will have to travel across town or uptown to find a school with space. And that concern is well-founded.
"I have seats for 75 children and have accepted 87 students," P.S. 89 principal Ronnie Najjar told DNAinfo in an e-mail. "It is unclear how many of those students will actually take a seat but the numbers will be clearer by mid April."
