A hearing meant to allow public comment on the city’s proposed closing of Jamaica High School quickly turned confrontational as school supporters taught city officials a lesson on passion.
After an outdoor protest, hundreds packed into the 118-year-old school’s auditorium on Thursday, January 7 to rally against the Department of Education (DOE) and its representative Deputy Chancellor John White.
“The DOE’s proposal to phase out Jamaica High School is based on chronically poor performance and low demand,” said White to a loud chorus of boos. “Simply put, a school that is graduating less than one out of every two students is not meeting any standard of success.”
The DOE produced statistics showing a graduation rate of 46.3 percent – well below the Queens average of 67 percent. But this only ignited the ire of those in attendance.
Long-time Jamaica teacher James Eterno sprang from his chair to deliver his own statistics on the school – stats that showed Jamaica’s graduation numbers climbing steadily since 2005.
“Of the 371 students slated for graduation in 2009, 258 graduated,” said Eterno. “Our real graduation rate is closer to 70 percent, not 46 percent.”
Eterno then yielded the floor to the nearly 100 registered speakers. They ranged from current teachers and students, to alumni and concerned community members.
Assemblymember Rory Lancman, representing Queens’ 25th district, said that the DOE should consider the community’s passion when deciding on Jamaica’s fate. He also said that the smaller schools slated to replace Jamaica are unproven and that he wants his children to attend Jamaica when they reach high school age.
“In my view, the decision to phase out Jamaica High School is a mistake,” said Lancman. “By closing Jamaica in favor of smaller schools, you’re throwing out what works and replacing it with what doesn’t work.”
The DOE is in favor of closing Jamaica High School and replacing it with a number of smaller schools, which will be housed in Jamaica’s spacious building.
Some speakers charged that the DOE and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have been planning to close Jamaica for many years so they can take advantage of the structure’s enormous size.
“This is a power play for the infrastructure of this building,” said Tom Hillgardner, a 1976 graduate. “I’m shocked and saddened that they’re even thinking of closing this school.”
Perhaps the most poignant moment of the night came early, when a student from another high school slated for closure issued a warning to the people of Jamaica and the DOE.
“Without schools, the community will crumble,” said 18-year-old Beach Channel student Christopher Petrillo. “We see it in the Rockaways and you’ll see it here.
