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Budget, Education & City Services
Incubation and co-location of 75 Morton Middle School with The Clinton School for Writers and Artists, located at 10 East 15th Street, for the school year 2017-18
WHEREAS, The Department of Education introduced a zoning plan in September 2015 for a new middle school, MS 297, expected to open at 75 Morton Street for the 2017-2018 academic year;
WHEREAS, Hearings were held by CEC-D2 and other community advocacy groups throughout District 2 and strong community support was expressed for a new zoned middle school to open at 75 Morton Street in the 2017-2018 academic year; and
WHEREAS, The CEC-D2 approved a zone for MS 297 in 2016 (Resolution #95); and
WHEREAS, MS 297 was included in the 2016 District 2 Middle Directory; and
WHEREAS, In October 2016 the School Construction Authority announced that the building at 75 Morton Street will not be completed by September 2017 due to conditions that were unforeseen when construction schedule was planned and approved; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Education's Office of District Planning, in conjunction with the School District 2 Superintendent and affected principals and SLTs, agreed that there was space in M898, the building that houses The Clinton School for Writers and Artists (Middle School and High School), for a one-year co-location; and
WHEREAS, Representatives from the School Construction Authority and 75 Morton have agreed to meet with the CEC, CB 2 and the Morton Working Group to give updates on the building progress; and
WHEREAS, The principal and parent representatives have expressed their support to the one-year co-location, including the shared use of gymnasium, cafeteria and other common space; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) proposal to temporarily co-locate MS 297 in M898 for the 2017-2018 academic year; and be it further
RESOLVED, Community Board Five urges the School Construction Authority and the Department of Education to ensure the timely opening of the building at 75 Morton Street without any further delay, as The Clinton School for Writers and Artists will be at full capacity by September 2018 and will not be able to accommodate a co-location.