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Parents and students urge Paterson board to pause planned choice‑school closures; commissioners seek DOE guidance
Summary
During public comment parents and students urged the board to pause changes to 'choice' schools and requested clarity on plans that would eliminate grades and shift programs; commissioners then debated reopening the 'middle‑school model' decision and asked legal staff and the state DOE for guidance.
Parents, students and residents used the Feb. 11 public‑comment period to press the board to pause and clarify plans that would close or change 'choice' schools and to ask that legal and state guidance be obtained before further action.
Sanaya Shabazz, speaking during public comment, said parents were "still fighting for our children" and asked the board to pause plans and ensure compliance with Title 18A and the Open Public Meetings Act. Student Shahida Kerr said she has attended Alexander Hamilton Academy since kindergarten and pleaded with the board not to close the school: "Our school should not shut down because it means so much to students, families, and community," she said.
Several parents described specific local impacts. Tanisha Chestnut said a fake knife was found in a School 26 bathroom and criticized how school staff handled the follow‑up; she said she was later barred from the school after pushing for answers and asked that her children be moved because she did not feel safe. Dariel Johnson questioned why second grade was eliminated from a PAGT program at School 28 and said families were surprised by a registration flyer that listed grades beginning in third grade.
Advocates and parents asked the board to publish evidence and timelines supporting closures, to share lists of community partners that are sustaining services after recent federal grant cuts, and to involve relevant committees. Commissioners responded by discussing a previously adopted 'middle‑school model' and whether that model explicitly included or excluded choice schools. Commissioner Teague proposed reading a resolution to require fuller review and to have legal counsel and the Department of Education weigh in; other commissioners asked that the resolution explicitly include all phases (phase 0–3) and affected schools. Several commissioners asked staff to schedule expedited facilities, fiscal and governance committee meetings to gather needed information.
The board did not vote to reverse decisions during the meeting; commissioners agreed to collect documents, consult counsel and the DOE, and return the item to committee for further review.
