By John Tozzi
In an hour and a half of testimony heard by about 50 people, the parents questioned why, more than a month after the DOE disclosed the proposal, the department had not explained how the move would benefit their children or whether it would constitute a zoning change that needs approval from the CDEC.The DOE has said the proposal would align the school with others citywide, which are typically grades K to five for elementary and grades six to eight for middle schools. Although a DOE spokeswoman said no decision on the proposal has been made, many at the hearing said they thought they were helpless to stop it.”I feel that this is going to happen no matter what,” said Mary Ellen Muller, a parent at the school.The proposal would send students from PS 159, a District 26 school on 33rd Avenue in Bayside, across district lines to IS 25, a District 25 school 10 blocks west on 192nd Street, after fifth grade. IS 25, currently a seventh through ninth grade school in Flushing, would change to a sixth through eighth grade school. The school also has extra space: IS 25 was only at 63 percent of its capacity in 2004, according to DOE records, down from 74 percent in 2002.Parents said they were concerned that current fifth-graders at PS 159 would be forced to graduate on short notice and attend IS 25, a middle school that does not offer the wide array of enrichment programs available at PS 159.Rob Caloras, the president of CDEC 26, said that since the education councils were created and given the power to approve or reject zoning changes in 2004, he found no case of a school zoning issue that has been referred to any council in the city.”It seems that any time you're close to a zoning issue, a definition is created that prevents it from being presented to an education council,” he said.”If our voices aren't heard by the Department of Education, then I think we have a system that is not only not responsive to users of the education system,” Caloras said at the close of the meeting, “I think it's a tyranny that must end.”Padavan, who wrote to Schools Chancellor Joel Klein in December asking him to address parents' concerns, said he had received no response.”I hope it's not a fait accompli,” he said. Padavan also said it does not make sense to remove the sixth grade from an elementary school when experts say K-to-8 schools are model configurations.Like many parents, Padavan noted that Klein is scheduled to attend the CDEC 26 meeting on Jan. 26. “We will be asking the chancellor before he comes here in a week or so, 'Why are you doing this? Don't do it,'” he said.Caloras said parents might consider legal action if the DOE did not respond to their concerns.”The possibility of a lawsuit has been contemplated,” he said in a phone interview this week. “We would much prefer open discussion with Region 3 adminstrators prior to going through with a lawsuit.”Gene McSweeney, an aide to Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside), told parents he did not understand why the change was proposed.”I just hope for everybody's sake that this thing is not already written in stone,” he said.The only DOE representative at the meeting, Local Instructional Superintendent Walter O'Brien, said he understood the crowd's frustration and would relay their concerns to DOE officials.Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who also wrote to Klein about the matter in December, said in a phone interview this week that the DOE has failed to respond to many of his letters about school matters.”You don't get an answer from the chancellor. You don't get any answer from the superintendent,” he said. “It's almost like they want it to go away rather than deal with it.”CDEC 26 also passed a resolution, to be presented to Klein this week, opposing any change to PS 159 that does not give parents the option of sending children to a District 26 middle school.Reach reporter John Tozzi by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext. 188.
