On Wednesday, the city announced that four struggling public schools would be closed. Now the city says four more are slated to be shut down—including Jamaica High School in Queens. Enrollment at Jamaica High School has been falling. Jamaica High tells the Daily News it's shocked, since it improved its graduation rate by 10 points. But that's enough, since its grad rate has stayed below 50% for years. The News notes, "Jamaica was named the best secondary school in America in 1985 by the U.S. Department of Education. Among its students were columnist Art Buchwald, director Francis Ford Coppolla, '50s doo-wop group The Cleftones and much-reviled Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley."
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. Donate today