Educators decry lack of space for classrooms

This year, the New School for Leadership and the Arts (M.S. 244, NSLA) had to cap its sixth and eighth grades.

“This has been a huge problem for quite some time at this school,” said NSLA Principal Eduardo Mora.

Meanwhile, the Multiple Intelligence School (P.S./M.S. 37) had to cap three grades: kindergarten, first and second.

“For the last several years, we’ve had to cap kindergarten every year,” explained Kenneth Petriccione, the principal for P.S./M.S. 37. “It’s just the popularity of the area. The trend is up for 5-year-olds… The whole district is overcrowded.”

Chronically overcrowded. That is how Marvin Shelton, president of Community Education Council (CEC) for District 10, describes area schools. This year, the Department of Education (DOE) granted grade cap requests for five schools in the northwest Bronx. In addition to NSLA and P.S./M.S. 37, the Sheila Mencher School (P.S. 95), P.S. 360 and the Milton Fein School (P.S. 7) had to turn students away.

Schools can request a grade cap when all the classes in certain grade are maxed out at 32 students each, or 18 students for kindergartens, and there are still children left over. If the DOE approves the cap, the last children enrolled are sent to another school.

In the case of NSLA, the extra students are now attending I.S. 254, near Fordham University.

“It’s a difficult thing. It’s a difficult process,” Mr. Mora said of telling students and parents they have to leave NSLA for another school. He explained the school’s guidance counselors and administrators work with parents to try to make the transition as easy as possible.

“But after a week at NSLA, the student becomes part of the family and they want to stay there,” he said. He added that middle school students are resilient and he believes they have the ability to overcome a tough situation like transferring after the start of the year.

Mr. Mora explained overcrowding at NSLA comes from a perfect storm of being the only zoned middle school for five local elementary schools and being a popular choice for parents on top of that.

“[NSLA] is attracting lots of students. Lots of families want to register their students here,” he said, pointing to the school’s robust afternoon programs and success in getting graduates into top high schools.