Seth Low School Co-Location A Concern For Neighboring Communities

Fears of overcrowding at Seth Low Intermediate School (99 Avenue P) has parents and public school advocates up in arms over the possibility of allowing Success Academy, an independent charter school, to take up space in the institution. Although the school is in Community Education Council District 21, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle is reporting that Laurie Windsor, president of the Community Education Council District 20, is raising concerns that allowing Success Academy to take up space in Seth Low would negatively affect her district’s school system as well.

Previously, we reported on a public hearing where angry parents opposed the Department of Education (DOE) plan to allow a Success Academy Charter School to operate in the same space as Seth Low. The biggest concerns from parents were their fears of overcrowding, inter-grade mingling and seeing public resources used for a privately-operated school.

At the time, we also noted that CEC District 20 issued a resolution opposing the measure, despite its location in the neighboring community

At the hearing, Windsor expanded on that resolution, testifying that allowing Success Academy into Seth Low would impact her district as well.

“The zone for IS 96 has more students from District 20 than from District 21. Seth Low has historically been a feeder school for District 20 elementary schools. Approximately 53 percent of IS 96’s zone is from District 20. Therefore our district has a vested interest in the future of IS 96,” Windsor said.

The Daily Eagle also laid out Windsor’s concerns over the growing elementary school population in her district:

Adding to the problem is that District 20’s elementary school population has been growing by leaps and bounds, she said. Under DOE’s 2005-2009 Capital Plan, some 5,400 new seats were created through construction of new school buildings and expansion of existing buildings. But no new space was ever created at the middle school level, she charged.

“Where will these children go to school when they enter sixth grade? This issue is of great concern to us, and we look forward to continuing to work with the DOE to look for creative solutions, including implementing the space available at IS 96 in appropriate ways,” Windsor said.

“Putting an elementary level charter school in that building is certainly not the answer!” she said.

According to the Daily Eagle, the DOE’s proposal is contingent on the State University of New York (SUNY) granting Success Academy a charter. Councilman David Greenfield also made it known that he is against allowing Success Academy to take up space at Seth Low.

“Why put a charter school in a neighborhood that didn’t want one? It doesn’t make any sense,” Greenfield said at the hearing