New school started in MS44 (UWS)

I received an email from Robin Arrow on this last week, here's the meat of it:

- The DOE proposal is to start 3 K classes in the MS44 complex for the 2010/2011 school year to initially occupy 4+ classrooms on the 2nd floor and eventually growing to 450 students.

-The plan would move West Prep Academy to another facility

-Enrollment structure still up in the air but the intention is to relieve crowding at PS87 as this zone is set to expand in the 10/11 school year. The new facility will handle the overflow

-There is also talk about non-zoned younger siblings losing priority at older siblings schools in D3.

"There is also talk about non-zoned younger siblings losing priority at older siblings schools in D3." ... excellent for the economy! Now families will have to hire multiple nannies to get all the children to their different schools at the same time. Boston Bloomberg is a genius!

Robin Arrow - http://www.schoolsearchnyc.com/

Alan: yes, but if only parents wouldn't game the system by immediately moving after their eldest is in. At PS87, not too long ago, and maybe even, the majority of the children live outside the zone.

Wow! Did not know that ... literally a majority?

It's especially a shame because really what made/makes PS87 such a great school was intense parent involvement, and people who game the system in the way that you describe are less (positively) involved with the schools than are welfare parents who think the school system is a big free babysitting service.

Not all out-of-zone kids are from families that moved - fair number of siblings of SN kids and lottery kids (back when there was a lottery).

Many parents would contend that the out-of-zoners are the more intense parents.

Does this mean that the DoE expects PS87 to have more in-zone kids than they have room for in 2010-2011? I've heard that in the past there has been room for out-of-zone kids, but that room may be shrinking now. I know a few families that are considering moving into (renting in) the PS87 zone -- I can see how a development like this might this strategy less attractive due to the added level of uncertainty.

BTW, I think that the out-of-zone sibling thing is already written into the DoE's rule book. Kids like that get third priority (I think), after 1) in-zone siblings and 2) in-zone kids.

aptometrist - Ps87 zone will expand next year so the new school is intended to alleviate some of the expected overcrowding. Right now out of zone siblings get priority over out of zone kids, I think this is the part that might be changing.