Guns appear in local schools while District 10 stands divided

1994

Schools in chaos

Schools remained on top of the Riverdale/Kingsbridge agenda in 1994, with violence and overcrowding matched only by the misbehavior of the school board. Guns were brought into school by students and fights in hallways and outside of school buildings were common.

The school board itself was investigated by federal authorities for corruption, but while that was going on, a plan to divide District 10, the largest in the city school system, was also in play. The hope was that by breaking up responsibility for 37,000 students, reforms might be made more easily.

The plan didn’t just fall flat, it proved incendiary as charges of racism were leveled over a proposal that would have separated largely white, relatively affluent Riverdale from largely black and poor neighborhoods. A similar issue was raised when plans for PS 37 were drawn up, over the question of who would attend the school.

Racism and anti-Semitism struck in other places, as well. Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale was painted with swastikas and pro-Palestinian slogans on March 10. The vandals were not caught, but the attack brought neighbors and political leaders together in condemning the attack.

There were also important changes in neighborhood leadership.

Dr. Matthew Spetter, the force behind the founding of the Riverdale Mental Health Association, retired after 34 years at the center. The Press described a community that lovingly thanked him for his work.

Attorney General Oliver Koppell was defeated in a primary battle, and returned to private life.

Jeffrey Dinowitz took Mr. Koppell’s former seat in the State Assembly.