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Civic needs to meet chancellor

On Feb. 28, the Auburndale Improvement Association Inc. sent city Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña a letter requesting to meet with her regarding PS 130, at 200-01 42nd Ave. in Bayside.

To date, we have received no response from her or anyone on her staff. The letter was sent certified, return receipt requested, so we know our letter was received by the schools chancellor’s office.

In the letter, we told the chancellor about our civic association’s goal to allow local children living around PS 130 to be given priority placement in that school. The school is geographically in District 26, but is used by District 25.

Most students are bused in or delivered to the school by car from other distant areas. Meanwhile, children living around the school have to be bused to other overcrowded schools in District 26.

We sent the chancellor, along with the letter, more than 200 petition signatures and many comments from residents living immediately around PS 130. They want the school back. Surely their concerns deserve some type of consideration. In our opinion, this situation makes no sense and it is not fair to local children or their taxpaying parents.

If PS 130 were returned to the local community, it would no doubt alleviate the need to construct a school on the Keil Bros. property in Bayside. There is still a lot of controversy swirling around that plan. It would appear to my civic that new schools would be better used elsewhere in District 26 as well as in District 25.

This is not the first time my civic group has been ignored regarding this important community issue. Former Chancellor Dennis Walcott and other city Department of Education officials have ignored our requests to meet as well.

We would still like to meet with Fariña to discuss this issue further. We have written her a second letter to request a meeting and we have asked our local elected officials for support in this endeavor.

There must be some way to enable local children to receive priority placement at PS 130. We think that would be in the best educational interests of our neighborhood children.

At the same time, we do not wish to interrupt the education of those students currently attending PS 130. By meeting, details can be worked out so everyone wins.

My civic association will continue to advocate for what is right for the children living around what should be a neighborhood school first.

Henry Euler

First Vice President

Auburndale Improvement Association Inc.

Bayside