Public Schools Are Too Crowded

2008_10_schooldesk.jpgThe NYC public school system, the largest in the country, is way too crowded, according to the Daily News. Some of the statistics: One school in the Bronx is "at 200% capacity"--kindergarten students are bused to other schools, the halls are used for tutoring-- while another school "was built for 800 students, but enrollment is currently 1,147." An Upper East school is "supposed to have 433 students but has 647," and Tribeca's coveted PS 234 "is a 501-seat school that houses 748 students," thanks to the surge in residential development downtown. A group called A Better Capital Plan will be rallying for the city to build schools based on what the neighborhood needs, versus looking at the whole district. And overcrowding is not a new issue.

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My public school education started in 1987 when I joined 7th grade. At first I surprised that there often weren't enough chairs for all the kids in the class and that we'd sometimes have to share textbooks because there weren't enough to go around. After a while I didn't notice anymore and it seemed to be the norm.

It's a big problem, and definitely not a new one. However 200% capacity seems pretty outrageous.

Really Sherlock? Overcrowding in schools has been an issue for quite some time now and this just isn't an issue here it's all over the country.

i just did a huge report on this in my education class

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