City Proposes Merging Harlem Elementary Schools

HARLEM, NY — The City Department of Education has proposed merging two Harlem elementary schools by the beginning of next school year.

By combining P.S. 185 and 208 — both located in the same campus on West 112th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues — the city could create one complete elementary school with the ability to grow up to a capacity of 500 students, according to the Community Education Council for District 3. Currently, P.S. 185 ends after second grade and P.S. 208 only serves third, fourth and fifth grades.

Should the DOE's plan pass, both schools would combine to create a PreK-5 school with one administration, according to the Community Education Council. The schools have a current combined enrollment of about 360, but the new school could eventually accommodate more than 500 students.

"The potential consolidation of P.S. 185 and P.S. 208 will provide students with a continuous elementary school education, eliminating an extra transition point, and support healthy enrollment and a strong, high demand school option for the Harlem community," District 3 superintendent Ilene Altschul wrote in a letter to families at P.S. 185 and P.S. 208.

The DOE is currently planning to submit the merger plan to the Panel for Educational Policy for a January vote, according to the Community Education Council for District 3. If the plan is presented for a January vote and passed it will likely go into affect for September 2018, according to the council.

P.S. 185 and 208 are two of the four Harlem elementary schools that currently have enrollments of fewer than 250 students, according to a DOE presentation on the plan. The building which holds both schools is currently only utilizing 68 percent of its capacity, making it one of the more underutilized public school buildings in its district.

The Community Education Council for District 3 will meet on Dec. 13 for its monthly calendar meeting. The meeting will be held at P.S. 241 on West 113th Street between Frederick Douglas Boulevard and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.

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