General D. Chappie James Elementary School of Science

General D. Chappie James Elementary School of Science opened in 2008, replacing PS 183 which closed the same year for poor performance. From the beginning the new school posted low test scores and attendance and never managed to attract neighborhood residents. It officially closed in 2015.

During its troubled few years of operation, teachers expressed concerns about safety and discipline; only 62 percent said that order and discipline were maintained at the school, according to the Learning Environment Survey. About half said there was frequent bullying among students.

The last group of pre-kindergarten and kindergartners were admitted in 2011 and later were assigned to PS 446, which opened in the building in 2012. 

The General D. Chappie James Middle School, which shared the name and the building, was also closed in 2015. Replacing it is the Riverdale Avenue Middle School. (Pamela Wheaton, September 2015)