A controversial school rezoning debate on the Upper West Side continues, with the city presenting its final plan to parents and residents tonight.
Officials say they want to move several schools and redraw the zone lines for several others, all in a bid to reduce overcrowding and alleviate the deeply entrenched racial segregation between the different schools in the neighborhood.
All told, 11 schools will be affected, spanning the entire Upper West Side, from 59th Street up to 116th Street. But the heart of the issue comes down to two schools just a few blocks away from one another. PS 199, where test scores are high and the students are mostly white and relatively wealthy, and PS 191, where test scores are low and students are mostly black and Hispanic and from low income families.
PS 199 is overcrowded, but well-off families have resisted efforts to rezone their apartment buildings so their children would attend PS 191. In fact, a year ago, the Department of Education first presented a plan to rezone the area but after stiff opposition, the Department delayed the decision.
But tonight, city officials presented a map on a new Upper West Side when it comes to public school zones, and while some parents are expected to push back, others say it is finally a bold attempt to desegregate the schools.
PS 191 will move to a brand-new building, to give it a fresh start, and be given extra resources, like a math and literacy coach and a technology coordinator. It will also get a gifted and talented program, which is often seen as a way of wooing well-off families.
In a statement, the schools chancellor said the proposal is an important step towards equity, and the local city councilwoman, Helen Rosenthal, described the plan as seizing a "singular moment to desegregate these two schools." But she does expect some opposition.