On February 9, the Panel for Education Policy will meet to vote on the future of the 25 schools up for phase-out and closure. Hearings are held at the schools; in some cases parents and students are protesting outside the schools prior to the meetings. Protests generally begin at 5 p.m.; hearings at 6 p.m.

As schools are phased out and closed, others open in their place. Details about some of the proposed new schools can be found on the DOE's website.

Several popular schools are planning to expand: PS 8 in Brooklyn Heights wants to add a middle school. Since there is no room in the elementary building, the proposed site is a nearby high school: Westinghouse. PS 249, an early childhood school in Flatbush which serves many youngsters from outside the zone, will become a K-5 school, only accepting zoned students. In Manhattan, the Special Music School, a citywide program for exceptionally talented musicians, wishes to expand to become a K-12 school. To do so, it would move into space vacated by Manhattan Theatre Lab, in the Martin Luther King, Jr. building. Below is a rundown on upcoming hearings.

Upcoming school closing - and opening - hearings

Tuesday, Jan. 31

Academy of Business and Community Development, Brooklyn

Washington Irving High School, Manhattan. The hearing will also consider the opening of: The Academy for Software Engineering and another new "replacement" school, as yet to be named.

Wednesday, Feb. 1

IS. 296 Anna Gonzalez Community School, Brooklyn. The hearing will also consider the opening of a "replacement" 6-8 school, IS 592, in the building.

Legacy School for Integrated Studies, Manhattan. The hearing will also consider the opening of "New" high school (no name yet).

Thursday, Feb. 2

Samuel Gompers Career and Technical Education High School, Bronx. The hearing will also consider co-locating the (new) New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science II, and a new transfer high school in the building.

Wednesday, Feb. 3

International Arts Business School, Brooklyn. The hearing will also consider the opening of a "replacement" high school, not yet named.

Grace Dodge Career and Technical Education High School, Bronx. The hearing will also consider the opening of a "replacement" high school, not yet named.

School expansion hearings

Monday, Feb. 6

PS 8, (Hearing at Westinghouse, 105 Johnson Street)

A full listing of proposals under consideration at the Feb. 9 hearing is posted here.

There will be a whole other round hearings about school openings, closings, phase-outs and expansions prior to the March 1 PEP meeting. We'll keep you posted. See the current proposals here.