“We gave them an inch now they want a mile,” Judy Fariselli, I.S. 125 Parents Association president said, discussing how parents feel P.S. 119 took an invitation to use their facilities as an opportunity to slowly “takeover” their school.
I.S. 125, which is located at 1111 Pugsley Avenue, and educates 780 students in grades 6 to 8 at three different academies – Thurgood Marshall Academy, Descartes Academy and the Academy of Cultural Enlightenment – was also once the home of a fifth grade class until it was moved to P.S. 119.
As a result, P.S. 119, which houses a K to 5 program, became overcrowded. Taking a good neighbor approach and noting that P.S. 119 is one of their two feeder schools, I.S. 125 agreed to give up some of their first floor to house close to 300 students from P.S. 119’s kindergarten, first and second grade classes.
“We opened our doors to accommodate them and now they want more,” said I.S. 125 parent coordinator Wendy De Tiberiis, noting that officials took a walk through P.S. 119, and made inquiries about certain classroom and office space, looking to expand their stay at the school. Those plans have been granted.
According to Fariselli, who is among those filing a grievance with the Department of Education, the city agency has made plans to hand over more space to P.S. 119, requiring I.S. 125 to vacate and hand over the entirety of the first floor, with the exception of the school’s main office, and selected rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Concerned parents said losing these spaces will be detrimental to the future success of the school.
“Students would be limited in their ability to take Regents classes and exams, overcrowding in our classrooms would become an even bigger issue and our students would be contained in even smaller areas,” De Tiberiis said.
Fariselli said she heard P.S. 119 would transform many of the rooms into offices, a teacher center and a staff lounge.
“This makes no sense, whatsoever,” she said. “We offered them use of our teacher’s lounge. They just want to take for themselves. They are not looking to share.”
Upon investigating the case, DOE spokesperson Melody Meyer said she’s not sure why her department requested the change. “Neither P.S. 119 or I.S. 125 are expected to have any significant changes in enrollment next year,” she said. “I think their actually declining in enrollment slightly, but not enough to make a difference in how the building’s space will be utilized,”
Meyer said she would look further into the matter, but until then, I.S. 125 parents have had enough, stating that their students are making enough sacrifices, including having to enter at three separate entrances to avoid contact with the younger students on the first floor.
“This is their school,” Fariselli said, referring to the students, “and now they are slowly being pushed out of the building. It’s like we are becoming the P.S. 119 Annex. If that’s the Department of Education’s plan, they need to let us know.”
The school is currently planning a rally to protest the takeover.
“This year we’re being told that we don’t need what little space we have for our parents, students and staff. If we don’t take a stand now, what will the next few years hold for us,” Torres questioned.
P.S. 119 refused to comment on the issue.
