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West Village Parents Criticize School Rezoning Proposal

By Andrea Swalec | October 12, 2011 2:27pm | Updated on October 13, 2011 10:26am
Horatio Street resident Donald Maass urged the council to reject the DOE's proposal, which would redirect his son from either P.S. 3 or P.S. 41 to P.S. 11.
Horatio Street resident Donald Maass urged the council to reject the DOE's proposal, which would redirect his son from either P.S. 3 or P.S. 41 to P.S. 11.
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DNAinfo/Andrea Swalec

CHELSEA — Village parents are concerned about a Department of Education plan they say will shake up their lives.

Re-drawing boundaries of school district 2 would alter parents' plans for their children, disrupt communities and sabotage the real estate deals that some families made based on school catchment areas, parents said at a Community Education Council hearing held on Tuesday at P.S. 11.

"People make major plans so they can go to certain schools," Tara Newman said.

Newman and her husband bought a three-bedroom apartment on 16th Street, east of Sixth Avenue, with the expectation that their six-month-old son, Jack, would go to P.S. 3 in the West Village, she said. The rezoning proposal would instead send Jack to P.S. 11.

The blue area in this Department of Education diagram represents District 2's current boundaries. The yellow lines indicate the proposed rezoning.
The blue area in this Department of Education diagram represents District 2's current boundaries. The yellow lines indicate the proposed rezoning.
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Department of Education

"I just think it makes no sense," Newman said.

The proposed rezoning would eliminate a choice between P.S. 3 and P.S. 41 for families in the area roughly bound by 14th Street and Bethune streets to the north, Fourth Avenue and Greene Street to the east, Canal Street to the south and the Hudson River to the west.

The southern boundary of the P.S. 11 catchment would move from 18th Street east of Seventh Avenue and 16th Street west of Seventh Avenue, down to 14th Street east of Eighth Avenue and Bethune Street west of Eighth Avenue.

Boundary lines are typically drawn down the middle of streets, with children on separate sides sent to different schools. 

Horatio Street resident Donald Maass urged the council to reject the DOE's proposal, which would redirect his son from either P.S. 3 or P.S. 41 to P.S. 11.

“Nothing against Chelsea, but our son doesn’t connect to Chelsea," he said. “I’ve got to say that if my kid can’t go to school in his neighborhood, I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

Department of Education representative Ben Taylor said rezoning of District 2 has been proposed because new space is available.

"The impetus for the rezoning is new capacity," he said.

Twenty-four of the 27 schools in the district are operating over capacity, council member Eric Goldberg said.

Council member Michael Markowitz said if the council rejects the plan, area schools will likely have wait-lists for kindergartners. 

Principal Lisa Siegman of P.S. 3 questioned whether zoning would reduce class sizes.

"I don't understand how this improves the situation in the West Village," she said.

P.S. 41 principal Kelly Shannon said she supported the rezoning proposal and hoped it would help prevent "class sizes that are maxed out because we haven't made the appropriate plans for children's education."

Parent Catherine Doyle, who lives on 17th Street west of Sixth Avenue, said DOE zoning changes made with little notice to parents undermines the city's efforts to retain residents.

"If you want kids in New York City to stay in the city and in public schools, you have to put much more stability within the zoning," she said. "This really wants to make you pack your bags."

Notices about the potential school rezoning were posted in Chelsea the night of Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011.
Notices about the potential school rezoning were posted in Chelsea the night of Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011.
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DNAinfo/Andrea Swalec

Parents also questioned why birth rates, construction rates and The Foundling School, which is scheduled to open at West 17th Street and Sixth Avenue in 2014, have not been taken into consideration in the DOE proposal.

Council member Sarah Chu assured parents that the council had heard their concerns.

"We've heard you loud and clear," she said.

The council will discuss suggested changes to the proposal in the next three weeks, Markowitz said, and take a final vote on Dec. 14.

An open business meeting of the council is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17 at 333 Seventh Ave. Community feedback will not be solicited then.

Locals' contributions will be welcome at another open business meeting of the council on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at P.S. 116 at 210 East 33rd Street, and additional public hearings will be scheduled then.

The council is also accepting feedback at d2zoning@gmail.com and on its Facebook page.

Community Board 2 is scheduled to discuss the rezoning at a Tuesday, Oct. 18 meeting at Judson Memorial Church at 239 Thompson St.