A month after new Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott put underperforming middle schools on notice, a list of 20 schools targeted for potential closure was released.
Every school but one on the list received a “D” or an “F” on the school progress reports that were released in September.
Two Queens schools find their name on the list – P.S. 215 Lucretia Mott in Woodmere and P.S. 181 Brookfield in Springfield Gardens.
Minorities comprise over 96 percent of the student body at each school and 90 percent of the students at P.S. 215 qualify for free lunch.
The schools each performed one grade worse than they did on last year’s progress report. P.S. 215 received a “D” on last year’s report, while P.S. 181 received a “C.”
Though the schools received low grades, parents do not agree they should close.
“[It] is a real good school, they learn a lot there and I don’t think they should close it,” said Mira Calbert, mother of three at P.S. 181.
“I hope they keep it open,” added Paul Munroe, father of two at P.S. 181.
The schools on the list are only in the first stage of evaluations. Any decisions on which schools will close will not come until mid-December at the earliest. An additional list with high schools will be released this month following their progress reports.
Each school on the list will be handled differently, depending on the needs of the school.
“The goal of these discussions is to gain a better understanding of where weaknesses in their educational strategy lie and why they are struggling,” Deputy Chancellor Marc Sternberg said in a statement.
Schools that are targeted for closure will be phased out and replaced, not closed down completely.
Last year’s list included 12 Queens schools – none of which were closed.
– Additional reporting by Ricky Casiano
