C.E.S. 90 George Meany School

The PS 90 building houses two new schools, the Family School and the Sheridan Academy for Young Leaders, opened in 2009. PS 90 was closed for poor performance in 2011.

The old school had a revolving door of principals in the first years of the 21st Century. It had a huge enrollment--up to 1,500 children at one point. Some grades had as many as 16 classes. The Department of Education decided to phase out the school and replace it with two smaller schools in 2009. Children in the older grades stayed at PS 90 while new schools enrolled children in K-2. The phase out period was difficult for teachers and students who remained at PS 90. Children were in tears and parents, confused by the phrase "phase out," thought there wouldn't be any school for their children, staff members told Insideschools. The new schools hired some of the best teachers and those who stayed were angry and resentful, staff members said. Teacher absenteeism increased. (Clara Hemphill, interviews February 2012)