PS 58 In Carroll Gardens May Lose Pre-K Next Year Unless Solution To Overcrowding Can Be Found

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One of New York Mayor DeBlasio's mandates when he was elected was to create more Pre-Kindergarden spots in the city.  It therefore seems ironic that our own local elementary school,  Public School 58, also knows as the Carroll School, may not be offering pre-K classes next year.

PS 58's principal Katie Dello Stritto confirmed the news that had been circulating amongst parents for a while.  In a letter to the school community which was sent out a few days ago, Strito writes:

"Our community continues to grow and we are very grateful for all that comes with that growth, but as you know, we are experiencing a space crunch. As we discussed at the Oct. 21st forum on over-crowding and at this week’s PTA meeting, it is unlikely that PS 58 will be able to retain its three Pre-Kindergarten classrooms in the building for the 2016-2017 school year. 
I am sure many of you have heard about this as you talk with your friends and read news articles. I regret that we will need to either eliminate or move our Pre-K program out of the building; this move is necessary to meet the needs of our growing community. As our current students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade move up, we need more classrooms in the upper grades. 
We are very fortunate that the School Leadership Team has formed a group of parents and staff members who are diligently working together to find alternate solutions for Pre-K classes for next year. However, at this time there is not yet anything concrete to report regarding space for next year. I am speaking regularly with our District 15 Superintendent as well as officials in Brad Lander’s office who understand that, like so many other areas, we require more space to meet our students’ needs."

The news certainly cannot come as too much of a surprise.  As we all know, Carroll Gardens has become more and more popular amongst young couples with children.  Several large scale developments catering to families have risen in the neighborhood in the last decade. The problem will get even worse with the completion of the 700-unit Lightstone Group Project on Bond Street, the proposed 770 unit housing development at Public Place at Smith Street and countless others that are in the works.

Apparently, PS58 is currently at 130 percent capacity.  This is simply the result of poor planning on New York City's part, which should have taken measures long ago to create more school seats to accommodate all the students moving into the neighborhood. 

PS 58 once had an annex right across the street, which was built in the 1950s or 60s on leased land at 360 Smith Street to provide additional classrooms if the need should ever arose.  The Department of Education used it for years to house the District 15 offices. About 10 years ago, the DoE canceled the land lease and walked away from the building.   The owner of the land, Bill Stein, then sold the building to the Hannah Senesh Community Day School in 2006. (Subsequently, Stein built a new development right next door at Second Place and Smith Street that attracted young families)

Had the City held on to the building at that time, PS 58's problems today could perhaps been solved very easily.  But instead, the DoB was shortsighted.

The Hannah Senesh School building at 342 Smith Street.
The original building was erected in the 50s or 60s by DoE as an annex for PS 58.
For years, it house the District 15 office.

It is unlikely that Pre-K space will be found in enough time to accommodate the little ones in our neighborhood for the 2016-17 school year.

As a long time resident of Carroll Gardens and mother of two children who once attended PS 58 from Pre-K to 5th grade, that makes me rather sad.

Let us hope that a solution will be found, and soon.

Below are some photos of my kids at PS 58 Pre K.  Who remembers Miss Hogan, the best teacher ever?

My daughter's Pre-k class at PS58 in 1991

 Pre-K classroom back then

Pre-K teacher Miss Hogan with my daughter C, and some classmates

Daughter C in Pre-K

 My son M. class in 1995

 My son M. with Miss Hogan