With school overcrowding a major issue in Districts 24 and 28, a Department of Education (DOE) proposal to “incubate” students has raised concerns for faculty, staff and even local elected officials.
Maspeth High School, which is under construction at 54-40 74th Street, has students “in the midst of the admission process,” according to the DOE.
But with nowhere to go, the proposal is to “incubate” the incoming freshman class at Queens Metropolitan High School, at 91-30 Metropolitan Avenue.
Metropolitan, which both the DOE and parents admit is “underutilized,” was built to house the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School (MELS) and an additional 150 District 75 students, which, according to Kathryn Thome, who sits on the board of Community Education Council (CEC) District 28, are “kids outside regular special education.”
Now, beginning in September, Maspeth High School students will join them.
“The most major problem,” according to Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi, who, with his colleagues, asked that there be a cap of 175 students from Maspeth and 250 from Metropolitan, “is the DOE’s list of scheduled incubations that outlast original timelines.”
“They can only incubate Maspeth High School for one year,” he continued, “for the health of all the students, or it will place an overburden on the faculty and staff and would compromise good schools.”
“My only question is how long will they [Maspeth High School] be here for? The DOE says it’s only a year, but they won’t guarantee it,” said Deborah, whose son goes to Metropolitan High School. “Will it affect my kids and the other schools already on this campus? I hope not.”
“While we acknowledge that the DOE has written a letter stating its intent to have the incubation last for one year, the Educational Impact Statement (EIS) includes an unacceptable escape clause,” reads a letter from Hevesi and his colleagues, Assemblymember Mike Miller and City Councilmembers Karen Koslowitz and Elizabeth Crowley, to the DOE. “The EIS states ‘Although the construction is still on schedule for a September 2012 opening, if the Q585 building is not ready, any proposal to extend the co-location in Q686 or move 24Q585 to a building other than Q585 would result in a new Educational Impact Statement.’ This statement must be removed from the EIS or there must be a certified legal document released publicly that directly states that the Maspeth incubation will end within certain dates.”
“The Educational Impact Statement was vague,” said Thome, whose daughter is a seventh grader at MELS. “There are loopholes, it seems like the students could stay longer. And though the School Construction Authority has an excellent track record when it comes to completion, they’re not going anywhere if the school isn’t complete.”
But Jack Zarin-Rosenfeld, DOE spokesperson, told The Courier that the 1,100-capacity Maspeth High School will “definitely” be ready in September 2012.
“We have no incentive not to move Maspeth High School in a year. Most school projects under this administration have been completed on time,” he assured.
But there is also a question of sharing resources, as well as security concerns, Hevesi added, noting that the “Metropolitan campus has fewer security guards and cameras.”
Currently, the Metropolitan campus employs four safety agents (three agents, a level one sergeant), which is fewer than the number of agents that were planned for when the school opened in September 2010, according to the politicians.
Though the elected officials are not opposed to the incubation “if it’s done properly,” they did request a meeting with Schools Chancellor Cathie Black.
“The DOE has not been very responsive,” said Hevesi.
