Online Petition Launched To Support Diversity at PS 130

Parents from PS 130 have launched an online petition in support of a plan for the incoming PS/IS 437 that they say will help retain the diversity at their Kensington school.

The petition, which can be seen here, has been signed by more than 100 people who back a proposal to split-site PS 130 when PS/IS 437 opens at 701-711 Caton Avenue – meaning younger students would remain at the current 130 building and the older students would attend class in the new facility.

PS/IS 437 is currently being developed by the city School Construction Authority, and the five-story school is slated to open for the 2015-16 school year. It will definitely house a new middle school, but the final plans for its elementary seats have not yet been cemented. The new building could include a new zoned elementary school, or the split-siting option could be implemented.

Numerous parents voiced their support for the split-site option at a recent meeting at PS 130, which is located about two blocks from PS/IS 437, calling it preferable over creating a new zoned elementary school because it would keep 130’s diversity intact. (A new zoned elementary school would mean that, because of the way the city would have to draw the zoning lines, the two schools would become more racially and socio-economically homogeneous.)

The city is currently gathering input from parents, lawmakers, and other interested parties and will present a final proposal in September, after which Community Education Council 15 is expected to vote on the matter.

From the petition:

In the past three years, PS 130 has experienced a 35% increase in students, and thus a marked increase in average class size, staggered lunches beginning at 10:10 am, and a now-dire lack of space. The school has managed to flourish without a gym, library, art room, facilities for special-needs students, or sufficient meeting rooms for teachers. But PS 130 desperately needs space and resources with which to appropriately serve its ethnically, linguistically and economically diverse community. Because the school is so strong—with a visionary principal and assistant principal, excellent teachers, devoted staff, and an ever-growing PTA—it would only benefit from more space in which to grow.

We, the undersigned, support split-siting PS 130, instead of creating a stand-alone elementary school in the K437 building. Split-siting would prevent an unnecessary division of the existing PS 130 community. Split-siting has worked successfully at our neighboring school, PS 230, which has an annex for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and first-grade students. PS 130 is currently at 138% capacity and rapidly growing. Split-siting PS 130 would immediately relieve crowding issues. In contrast, a new stand-alone school would begin with just Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes, and thus would not meaningfully relieve overcrowding for a number of years. Split-siting would also allow rezoned PS 154 families who join PS 130’s thriving school community to immediately benefit from the new facilities.

We are confident that this model, which has worked so well for PS 230, would most effectively help PS 130, relieve overcrowding at PS 154, and benefit the entire community.

For those who wish to give further input on this, you may email the district superintendent at ASkop@schools.nyc.gov, the community education council at CEC15@schools.nyc.gov or the DOE at BrooklynZoning@schools.nyc.gov.