DOE Looks to Rezone Popular Park Slope Schools

Today DNAinfo has a story on the Department of Education’s tentative plan to shrink two popular school zones in Park Slope, P.S. 321 and P.S. 107. Although a few plans have been floated and nothing is set in stone yet, here’s what may happen: “The zone for the high-performing P.S. 321 on Seventh Avenue and First Street would shrink, and DOE would open a new zoned school in the former Thomas Aquinas School building on Eighth Street and Fourth Avenue. That new school would take some students formerly zoned for P.S. 321 and some who had been in the zone for P.S. 39, on Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street.” Then a small area of the P.S. 107 school zone, at Eighth Avenue and 14th Street, will switch over to P.S. 10 on Seventh Avenue and Prospect Avenue. P.S. 321 Principal Liz Phillips says the school is at “the breaking point” and does not want to put zoned students on a waiting list. The District 15 CEC president Jim Devor told DNA that “I imagine I’m going to be hung in effigy in every real estate broker’s office,” referring to the parents willing to pay big bucks to move into the school district. As a tipster said this morning to us, “A good chunk of Central Slope could take a big hit on its property value.” There will be a meeting with the Community Education Council scheduled for this Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 7 pm. It’ll be at P.S. 261 at 314 Pacific Street in Cobble Hill. Any zoning changes ultimately have to be approved by the CEC. What do you think? Any Park Slope parents out there with an opinion about the best way to address the overcrowding?
Zones for Popular P.S. 321 and P.S. 107 Could Shrink Under DOE Proposal [DNAinfo]