Parents win school battle

After months of protest, community and school leaders declared victory when the Department of Education (DOE) recently announced that they would not go ahead with plans to build a high school inside Stephen A. Halsey Junior High School (JHS 157) in Forest Hills.
School officials had proposed putting a high school, the Civic Leadership Academy, inside JHS 157, which sparked objection from parents who did not want middle school students inside the same building as high schoolers.
“This is a big win for JHS 157, the DOE, the community and hundreds of students,” said City Councilmember Melinda Katz, who has spearheaded the effort against adding the high school. “I am proud to represent a community that is steadfast in their resolve and who fight for what they believe is right.”
Garth Harries, CEO of the Office of New Schools for the DOE, met with community leaders and representatives from the school on Friday, March 30 to inform them that the DOE changed its mind, and there was not enough space to add the high school inside JHS 157.
Parents reacted to the DOE’s decision with excitement and enthusiasm saying that its decision will benefit everyone.
“There are no losers in this decision,” said parent spokesperson and student leadership member Jeff Glasser. “The children of the school are the big winners because the educational integrity of their school remains in place. Even the DOE wins because it can now move forward with a better understanding of what needs to done when trying to implement the initiatives it proposes for the NYC school system.”