OVERVIEW
Over the years, the community of the Farragut houses have been depicted as a very underdeveloped neighborhood due to news reports and incidents within the apartment complexes. Throughout these headlines in newspapers, there has been little that’s has explained the current status of the children that have to thrive in such an environment. The people of Farragut houses/Vinegar Hill have made attempts at improving the conditions of the education of the youth as a means to better the possibilities of them avoiding becoming another statistic of the area. Attempts include recreation centers, school rezoning, and parks being built around the apartment buildings. Although some people had their opinions on the rezoning in particular in regards to the children of the community, in the end, they have come around to the idea from seeing the positive results that it has produced.
REZONING
- The faculty and students of PS 8 was scheduled to be relocated to PS 307 but only a Certain percentage of the students from the former would be admitted into the latter as a percentage of the student population in the following year. The people of PS 8 tried to push for a larger part of their student body to be allowed into PS 307 than previously agreed upon. The parents that had resisted the idea of the rezoning didn’t get on board with the idea because of fears that their kids will have their chance of admission taken by a kid that isn’t from the neighborhood. Others were apprehensive because the children entering were white rich kids which seems to be a threat to the school.
- Before the DOE went through with the rezoning, they help a forum with the people from both schools so as to clarify any doubts or concerns about the plan. There were parents who were supporting the decision and wished to deal with any issues if they were to arise in the future. The other side of the coin were parents who are worried that the sudden change in demographic within the school will cause an adverse reaction if it isn’t properly situated before anything is done.
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/39/2/dtg-ps307-ps8-rezoning-approved-2016-01-08-bk.html
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160909/vinegar-hill/ps-307-begins-new-school-year-after-contentious-rezoning
DOE Postpones Rezoning Of PS 307 And PS 8 After Community Outcry
