More than half of the city’s 1.1 million public school students attend overcrowded schools, according to a new report from the watchdog group Class Size Matters.
Despite the Department of Education’s addition of more seats and new buildings, many families feel the situation is getting worse as existing seats are being chipped away due to lost leases, schools being co-located together, or the elimination of annexes, mini-buildings and trailers housing temporary classrooms, according to the report released Thursday.
As trailers housing temporary classrooms — with nearly 8,000 seats — are expected to be phased out entirely, it may further strain school buildings, the report warns.
Roughly 575,000 students attended schools in 2015-2016 that were at or above 100 percent capacity, the report said, citing Department of Education enrollment data.
From the Queens Chronicle:
School Construction Authority officials on Monday said they have the money ready to alleviate overcrowding in overutilized school districts, such as SD 24 in southwest and western Queens, but a lack of available space remains their main obstacle.
“The hardest job of the SCA is to try and find real estate,” Michael Mirisola, director of External Affairs at the SCA, told members of the Borough Board during the annual update of the agency’s five-year capital plan. “We have brokers in every borough, in every district. We are constantly doing tests to see if a site will hold a school. We go through that exercise many times during the week and some of them just don’t pass muster.”
School District 24 has consistently been one of the most overcrowded in the city — as of February of this year, its average school utilization rate was 115 percent.
Mirisola said the SCA is always open to tips on available space to fit a school, yet many suggested sites are ultimately deemed unfit for an educational facility.
“Generally, the No. 1 reason is size,” he said. “If it’s a funded need and we don’t have a project, it’s because we’re looking for a location.”
Lots suitable for a new school site must be 20,000 square feet, the SCA official said, in addition to “other specifications and other requirements.”
9 comments:
So how crowded would the schools be if illegal aliens were not in the system?
Deporting would help... But that's just a dream I have. So I guess you can call me a "dreamer" too.
Short list of things likely to improve if all the illegal aliens left:
1. Smaller class size in schools
2. Less resurgence of diseases prior controlled in this country (measles, mumps, etc.)
3. Less crowded emergency departments
4. Smaller prison population
5. Decrease in welfare costs
6. Sun shines brighter
7. Air smells fresher
8. Donald J. Trump proclaimed President for LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!
It's not as if any actual learning takes place in NYC public schools....so what's the difference.
The entire system has transformed into a giant daycare service.
My son is 33 years old and District 24 was overcrowded when he was in elementary school. Nothing will change until developers stop cramming buildings wherever there is a small space and when something is done about illegal immigration. Our mayor needs to address the homeless situation as well. People buy into neighborhoods for quality schools. Now, in addition to paying a mortgage, they also have to pay tuition to private school for their kids, because public schools are so overcrowded. Until these issues are addressed, nothing will change. Don't see local politicians doing anything about this because they pander to the illegals.
OK so let's keep building huge gigantic buildings in Flushing (Peter Koo) and let's keep electing real estate lawyers who line their pockets with money from developers (Paul Vallone)
nothing will change until we change it.....
Elect Paul Graziano!
NY City School Priorities
Free breakfast and lunch. The parents have spent all the dough on lottery, cigs, tattoos, gold tooth displays, weed and phones.
Teach them about anal sex, and how to put on a condom at a young age. Progressive NYC values and all that.
Release into to the wild.
Well, when you offer free pre-school at age 3, there's absolutely no deterrent to having kids when you are not willing/able to feed or take care of them. You just ignore them for 3 years and pawn them off on the overburdened teachers paid way too little by taxpayer dollars (which increase without end). Then the school population explodes in a short time and the system gets bigger and bigger, until the sewer system and infrastructure explodes. I always wonder, are there even jobs for the HORDES of students if/when they graduate?
If our local elected officials stop allowing the over development they will stop coming.
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