School's Out in Williamsburg
Williamsburg and Greenpoint may be filling up with affluent families lured by the recent condo boom, but the well-heeled new residents are hardly beating a path to local schools. According to an article in this week’s Crain’s (sub. req’d), enrollment is plummeting in the neighborhoods’ public schools–it’s down 12 percent in elementary schools over the…
Williamsburg and Greenpoint may be filling up with affluent families lured by the recent condo boom, but the well-heeled new residents are hardly beating a path to local schools. According to an article in this week’s Crain’s (sub. req’d), enrollment is plummeting in the neighborhoods’ public schools–it’s down 12 percent in elementary schools over the past two years, with middle schools operating at 56 percent capacity, on average. The classrooms are emptying as older residents priced out of the neighborhoods are forced to leave and newer residents put off by what they consider to be conservative education practices decide to send their kids to schools farther afield. The trend is exposing chinks in the armor of the Bloomberg administration’s rezoning of northern Brooklyn, which was supposed to create a community where rich and poor (and their offspring) rubbed shoulders. On top of that, it could spell trouble ahead for developers who are marketing Williamsburg and Greenpoint buildings to young professionals with families. And developers are keenly aware of the areas’ lack of pull on the education front. “We have thought about it,” said Ron Moelis, a principal with L&M Equities, which is developing Schaefer Landing. “I don’t have an answer for you. There’s talk of a charter school, a new magnet school or maybe even a new private school. It would be great if that occurs.”
Photo by specmotors.
“in the burg, people are are just great. everyone i meet is so nice and cool. the kids all know each other. we are very happy. ”
Uhhhh….Broker, much?
WHO talks like that?
Is it just a coincidence that your comments coincide with the news that North8, Northside Piers AND 5th Street Lofts are offering huge discounts because Williamburg’s inventory of mediocre condos is begining to resemble that of Miami and Las Vegas.
Yeah, didn’t think so.
wow.
williamsburg feels so unfriendly just from these horrific posts.
and ms debbie downer at 9:13….i can see just from your posts that no…you wouldn’t like park slope. you’re right.
you’re too obsessed with yourself.
9:29 i personally don’t know the story behind 84 that is alluded to here, but i do know that i find all the parents i meet are terrific. do sign up for brooklynbabyhui (yahoo group)for parents. it’s very active.
i have met such great people. good luck!
if you are looking for a good education for a middle school in williamsburg you have to look at ms 577 which is attached to ps 132. it is a small school with a wonderful staff and administration. they offer regents classes and a good percentage of graduates come from 132. both schools offer a high quality education and serve the community well. while 577 might be housed in modules if you are looking for an A+ education for your child(ren) you need to look no further than 577.
Um, so the local community activists that had been working to improve the schools for the last twenty years dared to have an issue with parents11211’s motives? Why is that surprising? Why is that an issue? Is it still? Couldn’t you all manage to work together? Aren’t their concerns understandable? I have them myself, regarding this “charter school” for little Utne and Bliss and all of the other hipster kids.
It seems to me that Williamsburg has low-population schools in a city where almost every other district suffers from severe overcrowding. It also has interested parents from all walks of life. Why is there a problem? Why is this a problem?
http://parents11211.com/comment.php?mode=display&format=threaded&order=ASC&pid=3
http://parents11211.com/article.php?story=20070411132748556
Okay, where is the vaunted sense of “community” when I can’t even get an answer regarding PS 84 or any issues with 17? How can you sit there with a straight face and talk about giving things back and not even bother to tell your neighbor what happened?
And yes, yes I am ignorant. My kid is barely school age. Just how soon was I supposed to ask these questions? Pre-conception?
sorry, lived in Park slope for years. must have missed the community. people were total a-holes. summed up by a car that wasn’t moved before a block party, so of course, it was totally trashed right in front of my house. sure the poor soul was on vacation and didn’t know.
hardly anyone was ever friendly at all. people are very pushy about their agendas and politics. great neighborhood if you want to be assaulted by bumper stickers, banners in windows and pollsters stopping you on your way to dinner.
everytime i tried to work on my house, my crazy neighbor would start screaming at me because he thought i was somehow going to mess up his roof – don’t ask. inexplicable.
i wanted to like it. but couldn’t handle the people.
in the burg, people are are just great. everyone i meet is so nice and cool. the kids all know each other. we are very happy.