Photo by Jessica Brockington of last Thursday’s rezoning meeting.
The hearing to gauge public support for a plan to rezone up to 11 Upper West Side schools is set for this Wednesday at PS 75 at 735 West End Avenue between 95th and 96th streets. The meeting is set to start at 6, although the first half hour may not cover the rezoning issue. We’ve posted the agenda at the bottom of this post.
The meeting will review two proposals to rezone schools on the Upper West Side to relieve overcrowding and increase diversity. We covered the plans and showed the maps detailing the proposals here.
In addition, the school board, known as CEC3, is looking for a new member. The person, who must be a parent of a public school, could play an important role in the rezoning, as CEC3 will vote on the plans, probably in October or November. Learn more about how and why to apply and check out the application. They’re looking to fill this seat ASAP.
Click to enlarge.
Both of the proposed re-zoning plans involved (see article from last Thursday) seem to be quick fixes that are not well thought through. But the one that involves moving P.S. 452 is particularly egregious. It involves moving 452 lock, stock, and barrel into a zone which would otherwise be filled by a new school. In the process, you create fewer seats and make elementary school kids travel close to a mile (more than walking distance). It’s true that P.S. 452 currently shares its space, but as the alternative plan shows, it apparently has plenty of room to expand. It is because fewer seats are created under this option that all sorts of zone line manipulation is necessitated further north. But given that overcrowding will soon return under this plan, it seems like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
“it seems like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic” – Blitzen
oh, oh