NEW ROCHELLE, NY — There will be a Town Hall Meeting at Christopher Columbus Elementary School on February 8 at 5:30 pm.
“The recent tragic events involving two of our Latino high school students have made it clear that we need to be seen and heard by the School District and City Officials,” said a spokesperson for La Fuerza Latina, a local community group. “This tragedy has directly impacted our community. We must advocate for the safety of our children, and for better academic and social opportunities for our students.”
Below is a letter sent on February 3 by La Fuerza Latina sent to the New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond and New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson in anticipation of Town Hall meeting at Christopher Columbus Elementary School on Tuesday, February 8.
Please consider these facts. Over 5,000 of the 10,500 students in the New Rochelle School District are Latinos. Ninety percent of these Latino students are US citizens because they were born here. They are not a transient population, and they are the responsibility of this district and this community. The parents of these children pay taxes in this community, whether they own homes or pay taxes indirectly through rent.
The majority of the Latino students in New Rochelle, attend Columbus, Trinity, Jefferson, and Isaac Young Middle School. There is a documented history spanning many years, that the resources and opportunities available for children in these schools, has been unequal to the resources available in other district schools. As examples, classroom resources, arts programs, and athletic fields have not been equally funded. This contributes to appallingly lower rates of enrollment for children from Isaac in both Advanced Placement courses and the PAVE program. Please provide current numbers of enrollment in ALL AP and PAVE programs based on race and whether they were allocated from IYMS or ALMS?
The graduation rate for Latinos has been a concern for years. What are the current systems in place to address the Latino student graduation rates?
During the pandemic, over 400 Latino students were unenrolled because of attendance. No system of outreach was established to follow up on why students were not participating in classes. Please provide procedures for outreach to assist students and families? Families who have requested badly needed mental health services have not been able to connect with resources. The recent tragedy in our community, involving two students who have grown up in this community and our schools, was met with scripted responses, not sincere dialogue. The differences in reaction & public comment by the District and City to this recent tragedy and that which occurred on January 10, 2018, is appallingly disproportionate. Why was that Superintendent Raymond? Why was that Mayor Bramson?
Our community deserves better. Our children deserve better. We are aware that the district has received over 14 million dollars from the federal government to address issues related to the pandemic and to “build back better”. A focus of this federal funding is to address the needs of communities hardest hit by the educational consequences of this two years. The well-being of our families and children has been severely impacted, both economically, educationally, and in mental health. How will the school budget be specifically amended with these new funds to reflect the assistance that our community needs?
We request that the district respond to the voices of our community, address the needs of our children, and provide equal and equitable opportunities for them. We request transparency and input in the allocation of the Build Back Better funds and annual district budget funds. We request the district establish regular communication with community leaders, so that input from our community is heard, respected, and acted on.
A flyer promoting the Town Hall has been widely circulated.
Superintendent Jonathan Raymond issued an invitation to the Town Hall.
I am writing to invite you to a town hall discussion at Columbus Elementary School next Tuesday, February 8.
The tragic events of last week involving two of our high school youth have made it vividly clear that we are one community connected on many levels. This tragedy has impacted all of us. At the town hall meeting, we will reaffirm that the safety and well-being of our families and students remain our first priority. At the meeting, we will discuss ways to support the physical, emotional, social, and mental health of our students. Your thoughts, ideas, and voice are important to us.
Also at the meeting, we will share what we have learned about our current school district systems and practices, and how further improvements, partnerships throughout our community, and investments are necessary and urgently needed. We will share some immediate action steps.
Our schools remain safe spaces for our community. They are staffed by committed educators and other adults who are here to support, nurture, and love our children and families.
Please join the City School District of New Rochelle Board of Education and I this Tuesday, February 8, from 5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. at Columbus Elementary for this important Town Hall discussion. It will also be available here. The link may also be found on the school district website. We look forward to this and continuing conversations.
The public portion of the Board of Education meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m., also at the Columbus Elementary School auditorium.