EASTERN QUEENS COMMUNITY FIGHTING CO-LOCATION OF A NEW SCHOOL AT MARTIN VAN BUREN HS

One of the more sinister methods the Department of Education uses to undermine comprehensive high schools is by opening up new schools within buildings that were not designed to hold multiple schools. This hurts the established school in a number of ways.

The student population of the comprehensive school is reduced to accommodate the new school.  This in turn leads to a huge budget cut in the established school which leads to massive staff and program reductions.

The students in the established school are also made to feel that they are second class citizens in their own school as they see the new school lavished with all kinds of state of the art equipment and facilities in their part of the building as the DOE pours start up funds into the new school.

The DOE can then compare the two schools and find the established one lacking.

Since the DOE lost in arbitration and in court in its attempt to close down multiple large high schools last year, they have responded by co-locating many new schools in these buildings to try to shrink them and then make it easier to shut them in the future.

One such school is Martin Van Buren High School in Eastern Queens.

This school community is fighting back.  They will be holding a press conference on Monday, July 15 at 1:00 pm. at the school which is located at 230-17 Hillside Avenue.  Two supportive elected officials are leading the fight against the co-location: Senator Tony Avella and Councilman Mark Weprin. They will be joined by students, parents and community members.

To get to Van Buren, take the F Train to 179th Street and then it is a short bus ride on the Q43 to be dropped off right to the front of the school.