March 17, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Dirk Peters
Better Bronx Schools
DOE DRASTICALLY INCREASES BUILDING
CAPACITY TO MAKE ROOM FOR INCOMING CHARTER SCHOOL?
At 3:30 p.m. on March 19, teachers
and students of Schomburg Satellite Academy will hold a press conference
to announce their recent findings that the Department of Education
drastically increased the building’s student capacity. These figures, which
increased by 47.5% in a single year, will allow “room” for the DOE
to add a new charter school to the building, despite strong opposition
by parents, students, and teachers. The charter school, ROADS II, is
proposed to open in September of 2012.
Monday’s press conference comes in
advance of Wednesday's highly-anticipated PEP vote on the co-location of
ROADS II with Schomburg Satellite Academy and Bronx Regional High
School. The dramatic changes in building's operational capacity were
uncovered after the DOE announced plans to add a charter school to the
building. The drastic increase in capacity, from 295 students to 432
students, gives new weight to on-going protests by parents and students
that the DOE plan would lead to severe over-crowding in the building.
Local representatives including State Senator Ruben Diaz, State
Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, and City Councilmember Maria del Carmen
Arroyo have all expressed their opposition to the plan.
At Monday’s press conference,
teachers and students will call for an investigation into the DOE’s
calculation of the building’s capacity, and for a delay of Wednesday’s
PEP vote until the results of the investigation can be reviewed.
According the DOE plan, enrollment at Satellite would remain constant,
but the number of classrooms at would be reduced by half, with the
remaining space designated to ROADS II.
What:
Press conference demanding
investigation into the DOE's radical student capacity increases, and a
delay to Wednesday’s PEP vote on co-location
Who:
Schomburg Satellite Academy students,
teachers, and parents
Where:
1010 Rev. James A. Polite Ave, in the
community garden, across the street from the main entrance to the
school
When:
3:30 p.m.
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