The Sad State of School No. 16

Tomorrow, July 10, at 5:30 pm, Dr. Bolgen Vargas, Superintendent of Schools, will convene a meeting to discuss the future of School No. 16 on Post Avenue, across from Aberdeen Square. His agenda has three options:

Move all Pre-K through Grade 8 students to a different building
Move students in Grades 7 and 8 to a satellite program in another building
Move students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 to another school

There is no Option 4, "Fix What's Wrong with School No. 16."

What isn't mentioned are some of the reasons for moving students to another building or another school (Read: Close School 16). Unless those reasons are addressed, moving the students is tantamount to that old game, "Shuffle the Deck Chairs on the Titanic."

Passing rates have declined precipitously since Principal Mary Thomas retired in 2008. See the attached graphs showing the decline in English and Math grades NY Times NY School Test Scores Also see the comparisons of other Rochester City School District elementary schools to School 16's 3rd and 4th grade School 16 Compared to similar Elementary Schools in Rochester

The physical plant has been allowed to deteriorate to the point where millions of dollars will be needed to correct such issues as:

inadequate wiring
some bathrooms don't have sinks (!)
the roof leaks
the auditorium balcony is developing cracks that may indicate a possible failure
the HVAC is primitive - steam heat with no zone controls and no air conditioning

School No. 16 is no longer a neighborhood school. Only 20% of the student body actually lives in the neighborhood. For many parents who might otherwise attend, it means taking a bus or buses across town to participate in after-school activities.

Are you wondering how this could be happening? Come and ask Dr. Vargas yourself - 5:30 pm tomorrow, July 10, at John Walton Spencer School No. 16, on Post Avenue across from Aberdeen Square Park.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Sweetland on July 11, 2012 at 3:55am

Any feedback on the meeting? I was at work.

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Permalink Reply by Ang on July 12, 2012 at 7:53am

It's really unfortunate that 16 continues to decline. It was/is a great school. What happened to Ms Cooksy?

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Permalink Reply by Dan DeMarle on July 26, 2012 at 10:19am

I encourage everyone to go to the Board Meeting tonight. This is a very important meeting for a number of reasons. I would encourage those who attend to make a couple of key points.

What will be done to compensate the current students. The Test scores at School 16 have plummeted over the last five years. This means that the students at the School have not been receiving a sound basic education (despite the efforts of teachers and staff). Additionally as has been graphically displayed they have been taught in a building that is falling apart and literally stinks. Teachers have described daily classroom searches to look for rats. The District has known about these problems for years, but has ignored them. So regardless of whether the School closes or stays open, what will be done to raise the academic level of these students. In someways closing or not closing the School is beside the point. Simply leaving it open won't raise the grades of these students and simply moving them won't either. What will the District do to help these students learn.

Secondly, if the School is closed, what will happen to the building. We don't need a closed building in the heart of the 19th ward. The Superintendent has stated this will be address in the facilities master plan. Great, but this will be finished after the decision is made to keep it open or close it. In other words once the emergency is over and the pressure is off. We need to know what will happen to the building before a decision is made to close it.

Hope to everyone at tonight's meeting.