19 Brooklyn Schools Flagged For Social Distancing Trouble: Report

BROOKLYN, NY — Nearly 20 Brooklyn schools might have trouble keeping children the recommended three feet apart this fall, according to a list leaked from the Department of Education.

The head of a class size advocacy group revealed this week that she has obtained a list of 73 severely overcrowded schools that education officials have flagged as "Tier 1," or those that would have the most trouble following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing rule.

It includes 19 schools in Brooklyn, including some that have more than 1,000 students above their official capacity, the list shows.

The most overcrowded in the borough is Medgar Evers College Preparatory School, which is marked as 174 percent over capacity, according to the list.

Officials first noted concerns about the 73 schools in a call with administrators in May, where they noted that there were another 116 that might have a difficult time meeting the guidelines but could make it work by re-purposing auditoriums or other spaces, according to the advocate, Leonie Haimson.

"Please be aware, however, that even if your child's school is not on this list, the actual list of schools too crowded to provide any distancing is likely much longer," Haimson wrote. "Parents [should] be asking their principals what the plan is to provide three feet of social distancing next year."

The accuracy of the list, which Haimson shared on a school blog, has not been confirmed or denied by the education department, according to Gothamist, who first reported on it.

Union leaders say the department more recently has told them that only about 50 schools will be unable to accommodate the three-feet rule, according to United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew. Mulgrew said the union is "having a hard time believing" the numbers.

Still, education officials told Gothamist that all schools will be able to provide full-time, in-person instruction this fall and that teams have been touring and measuring spaces to advise administrators.

“We look forward to having all of our students back in buildings this fall,” said spokesperson Nathaniel Styer told Gothamist. “All our schools will safely serve every student in accordance with current CDC guidance.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio has also said he is "absolutely confident" that New York City schools will open for in-person learning in September.

Several principals interviewed by Gothamist, though, have said they still have concerns about the spacing guidelines, including how to meet them during lunchtime or the need to hire more teachers given smaller class sizes.

Here's a look at which Brooklyn schools are on the "severely overcrowded" list:

• P.S. 127
• P.S. 180
• P.S. 186
• I.S. 187
• I.S. 201
• P.S. 206
• I.S. 228
• I.S. 259
• P.S. 310
• Midwood High School
• James Madison High School
• Brooklyn Tech High School
• New Utrecht High School
• Fort Hamilton High School
• Franklin D. Roosevelt High School
• Medger Evers College Preparatory School
• Bedford Academy
• Brooklyn Studio Secondary School
• M.S. 839

Find a citywide list of schools, along with their enrollment numbers, here.