The Re-Rezoning of Park Slope Public Schools

Tuesday night marked the third forum for the public to offer input to the Community Education Council (CEC) on the proposed public school rezoning plan. This time, the public was reacting to the new CEC plan, which proposes to keep PS 39’s boundaries as they were and instead shifts the northwestern chunk of PS 321’s zone into the new school zone. Changes to public schools 107 and 10 remain the same.

PS 39 parents voiced appreciation for the Department of Education’s responsiveness to their complaints. Not everyone was so happy. Parents whose homes are slated to be zoned out of 321 paraded up to the microphone and aired concerns. Many talked about the loss of racial and economic diversity, of the unfairness for parents who counted on their children attending 321, of the ineffectiveness of any plan which does not address families renting in the 321 zone for the kindergarten year and then moving out of zone, and of the unknown quality of the new school. Speaking in favor of the plan were 321 principal Liz Phillips and City Council Member Steve Levin.

The meeting went smoothly at first, but decorum was abandoned near the end when CEC President Jim Devor got into a shouting match with one of Park Slope’s disaffected parents.

Public comment is open until Wednesday, November 28, when the CEC must vote on the plan. Devor has indicated the CEC will vote down the plan unless PS 133 is included in the rezoning effort. You can direct your thoughts on redistricting to:

District 15 Community Education Council
CEC15@schools.nyc.gov

DOE Office of Portfolio Management
Brooklynzoning@schools.nyc.gov

District 15 Superintendent Anita Skop
ASkop@schools.nyc.gov