The CEC 15 and Department of Education held a public meeting on 9/29 to update the community on the potential rezoning of 7 public elementary schools and the ongoing participatory action research (PAR) in affected neighborhoods underrepresented in the education decision making process.
The Department of Education has been partnering with CEC 15 and school communities since spring 2019 to develop a collaborative rezoning and admissions plan that aims to increase diversity and integration, reduce overcrowding, and advance equity in District 15. The process was initiated by the opening of the annex at PS 32 in Carroll Gardens that brought over 430 new seats to the Subdistrict and needs to be filled.
This planning has involved seven zoned schools: P.S. 38, P.S. 261, P.S. 32, P.S. 15, P.S. 29, P.S. 58 and P.S. 676 Red Hook Neighborhood School. In response to feedback from community discussions, the DOE committed to further empowering historically underserved communities in this area through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) process.
The PAR Team consists of around 10 parents and grandparents at the affected schools and meets weekly. It will share its findings and make a recommendation for the rezoning in the next few months (no specific date communicated as of yet). The team has held over 60 1:1 interviews via Zoom and on playgrounds and has developed a survey which has been answered by over 500 parents already. If you are zoned for these schools, or if you have a child who currently attends one of these schools, please take the survey by clicking here!
A spokesperson from the Department of Education shared the following with us in regards to the timeline: “In terms of the potential for a rezoning proposal to be submitted and voted on in the upcoming fall/winter for 2021-2022 implementation, the administration recognizes the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on schools and communities across the city. While this timeline remains on the table, any decision to move forward would be made in collaboration among the DOE, PAR team, CEC, school communities, and other key community stakeholders.” If the PAR team shares a proposal and the CEC 15 votes on it before Kindergarten applications for school year 2021/2022 open which is typically in December, it could be implemented next school year for children born in 2016. Otherwise a rezoning would be implemented for school year 2022/2023 for children born in 2017. Siblings will not be affected by any rezoning.
