“I know someone with a 98 who didn’t get in … Obviously not getting in with a 98 is a hard pill to swallow as a parent,” Annmarie Hunter, co-president of the parent association’s liaison committe, said of a family zoned for PS 24 that didn’t receive an offer at its neighborhood school. Ms. Hunter is also a member of Parents for Enrichment, which advocates for more G&T options.
The DOE didn’t respond to requests for comment and wouldn’t confirm how many of the 15 eligible kindergartners didn’t receive an offer because of the preferences families indicated.
However, last year advanced kindergarten and first-grade classes at PS 7 were not filled and some local parents have in the past expressed an unwillingness to send their children to PS 7’s gifted program.
Many have advocated for additional gifted seats at PS 24. However, Marvin Shelton, President of Community Education Council 10, said adding another gifted class at PS 24 would further overwhelm an already crowded school. He said the best antidote to the competition in District 10 would come in the form of more citywide G&T seats or programs.
“There has to be more gifted & talented citywide programs because what happens is you have the kids from the outerboroughs, and they don’t want to travel, and they don’t have another option, so they take a district seat, which makes it much more competitive to get into the district-wide program,” Mr. Shelton said.
Community Board 8 member and Parents for Enrichment member Damian McShane pointed out that in 2010, the DOE promised to open a citywide program in the Bronx.
