BY LYNN EDMONDS
Staff Writer
Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens), state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), Parent Teacher Association President Janice Berry, and concerned parents rallied in front of IS 109 in Queens Village to protest the colocation of a charter school on the campus.
photo courtesy nyc council
Parents rallied with Councilman Barry Grodenchik and state Sen. Leroy Comrie against a charter school colocation at IS 109.
Reasons for protesting the charter school ranged from concerns about the middle school children’s safety if they had to share a campus with high school students, to fears that the charter school would siphon resources from the public school system.
The later was a concern shared by Comrie.
“As seen in other co-locations throughout the community, this move would only foster a culture that would further the tale of two cities narrative, and that is something we cannot allow,” Comrie said.
Grodenchik said that he wanted extra space available to go to the public school system, not a charter.
“As a proud product of the Queens public school system, I believe we should be using our tax dollars to improve our local schools. The limited space available at IS 109 would be best used to help alleviate the overcrowding issue that exists at other area schools,” he said.
Berry relayed parents’ worries about the middle school students’ safety when sharing a campus with high school students. She said the PTA had also expressed concern about how the space in the school would be allocated.
Reach Lynn Edmonds at (718) 357-7400 x127, ledmonds@queenstribune.com or @Ellinoamerikana
