Published: March 5, 2014
Publication: NY1
By Jon Weinstein
Co-location Battle Brews at Inwood School
By Jon Weinstein Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at 08:24 PM EST
Angry parents and education advocates say they will go to court to keep a third school from sharing an Upper Manhattan building.
Parents of I.S. 52 students in Inwood say they are disappointed the mayor’s office approved the co-location of the Career and Technical high school in its building.
They say the century old building is already crowded, housing another high school in addition to I.S. 52.
Parents say their request to move the high school to a different building on 183rd Street has fallen on deaf ears.
“I notice that this is a trend, not only us. Other people in other parts of the city, the administration is basically doing the same thing as Mayor Bloomberg, not listening to us,” said one I.S. 52 parent.
“If we add extra bodies, which are outside of their age range, it’s not going to be a happy family. They’re gonna be learning things they shouldn’t be learning yet and I don’t think any parent wants to see that,” said another I.S. 52 parent.
Lawyer Arthur Schwartz says a suit he filed in New York State Supreme Court to fight the co-locations, which had been suspended while the de Blasio administration made its decisions, will now move forward.
“They didn’t do adequate consultations with CEC’s and PTA’s all across the city before making this decision. I think people thought they’d be much more included in the process than they were,” Schwartz said.
While much of the focus is on the charter schools included in that suit, parents say their co-location is just as big of a problem.
“Don’t do it. Basically don’t do it. If you want to do something for us come over, meet with the principal, meet with the parents,” said one I.S. 52 parent.
Parents and City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez say they have put forth an alternative site for the new school. But the DOE says I.S. 52 is the best location and that the new school will be good for the students and the community.
http://www.ny1.com/archives/nyc/all-boroughs/2014/03/05/co-location-battle-brews-at-inwood-school-NYC_204735.old.html