Well you’ve cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air.
But will you keep on building higher
‘Til there’s no more room up there?
I know we’ve come a long way,
We’re changing day to day,
But tell me, where do the children play?
If the only thing you are focused on in LIC is that cute girl or guy down the hall, then this missive is not for you. Or maybe it is for you, and you shouldn’t be so focused on that person down the hall. Anyway, as all these new buildings in Long Island City begin to fill up, one enormous question looming for any parent with children entering, or soon-to-be-entering kindergarten is: will there be room for MY child in the local elementary school? Right now the answer to that question is indeterminable because 1) The number of children entering each class has not been calculated and 2) the ultimate number of slots available is also unknown. Regarding the first part of this equation, if you have young children born between 2007 and 2012, I highly recommend you fill out the survey in the first link so that the city can be made aware of the need for elementary school spaces in LIC. Also, please pass this on to anyone you know who has children of relevant age in this survey. Regarding the second part of the equation, I highly recommend you attend a meeting being held by CEDC 30(Community Education District Council 30 in Queens) on Wednesday, August 15th at 6:30pm. The exact location is still being determined, but will most likely be somewhere in Hunters Point. I expect to be able to post the location by the end of the week, so mark the date on your calendar.
Probably the biggest outstanding question that needs to be addressed right now is “What is going to happen to the old PS78 space in the CityLights Building?” There are a number of options available, including turning it into an early learning center(pre-K thru 1st or 2nd grade), to ride through the pig-in-a-python dilemma that is the current LIC elementary school problem. After that, with what I expect to be a very active parent base, the sky is the limit.
LIC School Zoning Survey – please fill this out and also pass it on to anyone with children in the relevant range
Adequate School Seating For Long Island City – a petition to Mayor Bloomberg and the NYC Dept. of Ed.
Crowded Boro Gets 15,676 School Seats – a previously mentioned article giving actual numbers in Queens. 6th paragraph down gives numbers for CEDC 30 = LIC
KINDERGARTEN PANIC – LICtalk’s post from April 17th regarding this issue, with more links about this topic
Way Beyond Bake Sales: The $1 million PTA – whether it is PS87, as in this article, or PS78; like it or not, this is the wave of the future in communities like ours with regards to public schools
z says
August 6, 2012 at 4:49 pmWow, a complete lack of irony in this post, almost.
CR says
August 6, 2012 at 5:18 pmExcellent post, thank you Lictalk and UnderpressureMom for highlighting this crucial problem in our neighborhood and some of the things we can do to hopefully alleviate it.
AG says
August 6, 2012 at 8:35 pmWill there be milk and cookies served at the meeting?
anony mouse says
August 6, 2012 at 10:10 pmWay, way too sobering for mid summer
Queens mum says
August 6, 2012 at 10:42 pmDoes anybody know what the numbers were for last years kindergarten class in terms of how many applicants there were and how many were accepted?
Ally says
August 7, 2012 at 8:47 amParents, this is a very important issue for us in LIC. If you have a child, please fill out the brief survey, and also sign the petition. And if you are expecting a child or even thinking about it then you should sign the petition.
Anonymous says
August 7, 2012 at 9:01 amI am sad to hear that this is as much of an issue and MAJOR problem in LIC as it is in NYC!
Mikey from Queens says
August 7, 2012 at 9:06 amYou should see the girl that lives three doors down from me she has …oh wait, focus on the survey Mikey