By Kathianne Boniello
Dozens of frightened parents traveled to schools throughout Queens Tuesday to retrieve their children after the World Trade Center in Manhattan was flattened in a vicious terrorist assault.
Schools throughout the borough and city remained open, but parents were allowed to pick up their students throughout the day.
Schools Chancellor Harold Levy urged principals to use all their staff members as extra security at city schools and sent workers at district offices out to schools to bolster the security effort.
Levy excused Board of Education personnel who had relatives working in the World Trade Center.
Public schools were slated to be closed Wednesday, Levy said, but were expected to reopen Thursday.
St. John’s University in Jamaica closed Tuesday and planned to remain shut Wednesday.
Outside PS 31 in Bayside one elderly woman clutched a young girl’s hand tightly as the two left the school.
When asked why she decided to pick up the child, the woman burst into tears and said: “I’m afraid that something could happen.”
Parent Maria Geoffroy, who took her two children out of PS 31 Tuesday morning, said: “I figure I want my children with me in case [the attackers] decide to go crazy and come to Queens.”
At PS 85 on 31st Street in Astoria, Kiki Prentzas came to pick up her three small children.
“I’m scared,” Prentzas said. “I don’t want them in a public place, so I am taking them to work with me.”
Suzanne Georgiou said she was worried about the safety of her two small children at the school because the apparent terrorists could strike again.
“You don’t know what is going to happen next,” Georgiou said.
In an internal e-mail sent to district superintendents and other Board of Ed employees Tuesday morning, Levy urged the staff to be on heightened security alert.
“There have been two explosions at the World Trade Center, which appear due to terrorist action,” Levy said in the e-mail. “There is no indication of any such action aimed at schools.”
Voters had already cast votes at many schools in Queens and around the city for Primary Day before the World Trade Center was demolished.
“The fact that many schools are open for the election, that there is always increased confusion on school opening, taken together with these incidents, however, argues for an increased state of alert throughout the school system,” Levy said.
In a news release late Tuesday, Levy said “the tragedy that has befallen our city is one that will reverberate throughout time.”
Levy emphasized that schoolchildren were dismissed “in an orderly fashion” after the attack and school buildings would stay open late to make sure children would get home safely.
The chancellor also extended his thanks to school personnel who managed to evacuate seven schools near the World Trade Center.
“Without their extraordinary efforts the tragedy would have been even worse,” Levy said.
At JHS 141 in Astoria, a line of worried parents gathered in front of the school waiting to collect their children.
“I’m not concerned about their safety,” said Rina Migliaccio, a parent from Jackson Heights. “I’m just concerned about the emotions.”
One particularly agitated parent pushed to the head of the line, saying her cousin had died in the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.
A steady stream of frightened parents approached the doors of MS 158 in Bayside, where staff requested photo identification before allowing parents inside.
One staff member said school personnel were working to keep information about the World Trade Center attack away from students.
“Things have been very calm and the students don’t really know about what’s going on,” one man outside MS 158 said.
Judy O’Leary, who has worked in city schools for about 20 years and is a health aide at MS 158, was checking parents for photo IDs.
“Who would do this?” she said, becoming visibly upset.
Madelyn Baker rushed to Bayside to pick up her son Matthew.
“I’m scared and terrified,” she said. “It’s awful.”
Reporter Betsy Scheinbart contributed to this story.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
