Dear Judy,

Our high school is overcrowded by the capacity standards in the DOE Blue Book. Our school has corrected the DOE calculation of space twice and our submittal has gone unacknowledged. Meanwhile, our3800  students fill a school with a capacity of 2100. What can be done to have the legal capacity enforced?

Thanks,

Dave

Bayside H.S. PTA President

Dear Dave,

It is not useful to argue over the capacity figures since the Blue Book (officially, the  Enrollment-Capacity-Utilization Report) already shows that Bayside is severely over-enrolled.  As far as I can tell, while the legal capacity is based on square footage of each room divided by 20, the standard of the NYC Building code, there are ways to manipulate the figures. Either way, your school is severely overcrowded and you need a solution.

Arguing over the numbers does not solve the problem. As you know, most of the larger high schools in your area and other parts of the city, are also overcrowded . It’s a complex problem, because parents and kids want schools like Bayside, with its proven track record and safe environment, so demand is high. But the current Department of Education policy favors carving small schools out of large dysfunctional ones, and funneling leftover kids to still standing large schools, like yours.

So how to proceed?  As the PTA president of a large, high- performing high school, much of what I say is probably old news to you, but perhaps there is something you missed.<!--more-->

I would start by inviting a representative of the DOE's Office of Portfolio and Planning to speak at a PTA meeting to clarify any plans they have in the works for your area of Queens. It is likely they do, having taken onForest Hills High School overcrowding with the founding of Queens Metropolitan  High School.   GothamSchools reports that at an October 5 meeting at PS 58in Queens, DOE Executive Director of School Improvement Alex Shub told parents a new 1,100 seat high school is going to be built in Maspeth. He  acknowledged that parents want a "large comprehensive high school" and "not a bunch of boutique schools..."

Next widen your base and set up a collaborative process with the Borough President’s office, the community board, your local council member, and congressperson.   Work with the School Leadership Team, and rope in the SLT’s from other area high schools because any solution is likely to affect all the high schools in Queens, or at least your part of Queens. SLT support is crucial as it brings the principal and the faculty on board.

Support of the local elected officials adds credibility, expertise, and public pressure. That is important to keep in mind whether you are looking for long term solutions -- involving new buildings or annexes -- or quick fixes such as trailers in the yard, restricting enrollment through screening or zoning, or any other strategies yet to be devised.

Once you have a  a detailed description of the problems that overcrowding is causing, and some ideas for a remedy, bring the issue to the Citywide Council on High Schools for consideration.  According to Andrea Anna Lella, president of the CCHS, no proposal can be considered if it breaks the law, such as making your school, or schools around you, less diverse. On the other hand, it would be a plus to increase diversity through your plans.

Hearings at the CCHS can lead to a formal request to the DOE to develop a plan. Before the DOE acts, it wants assurance that there is good faith resolve to accept a plan. That’s why, at this point your work intensifies, even though the Department of Education takes the lead.  All parties must stay involved, monitor the process, and help devise a workable solution.

Good luck!

Judy