Officials with Yonkers Public Schools discuss possible closure of Museum School 25
Officials say repairs to the building are costly and enrollment is down. Data shows it has the lowest occupancy of all schools in the district
A Yonkers school could be closing at the end of this school year.
Ladonne Spencer and her son say Museum School 25 in Yonkers is a special place.
"My son is getting taught things that I didn't even know. He comes home every day and I'm learning new things," says Spencer.
But Spencer’s son might soon be getting an education elsewhere. Yonkers Public Schools superintendent Aníbal Soler Jr. says that in June, the school could be closed.
"I want to be clear, the school isn't a bad school. As we look through the data we saw, it makes sense to move it. Only 12 or 11 chose it as a first choice in the ballot program," Soler Jr. explains.
A little more than 200 students go to Museum School 25. It's a K-5 school, according to a spokesperson with Yonkers Public Schools.
Soler Jr. says repairs to the building are costly and enrollment is down. Data shows it has the lowest occupancy of all schools in the district.
Regardless, some parents want it to stay.
"I'd hate to see it go, I think they're very attentive with the kids," says Shequille Carter, whose son goes to Museum School 25.
The district will be working with families and staff to transition to nearby schools, if the Board of Education moves ahead with this plan
"It is unfortunate but it's most cost-effective to relocate to a more appropriate setting for our staff and students," says Samantha Rosado-Ciriello, president of the Yonkers Federation of Teachers.
District officials say closing the school will optimize resources and ensure that all students receive the highest-quality education.
No final decision has been made yet. It could come at the end of the month.
