In response to the March 1st decision by the Panel for Education Policy to incubate Maspeth High School (24Q585) in the Queens Metropolitan Campus (Q686) the local community voiced numerous concerns. Prominent among these was the indefinite duration of the incubation period. Assembly Members Andrew Hevesi and Mike Miller, as well as Council Members Karen Koslowitz and Elizabeth Crowley called upon the DOE to solidify a timeline for the incubation ensuring a maximum period of one year.

On April 13th the NYC Department of Education sent out a letter to elected officials stating their intent to move the Maspeth High School to its new campus by September 2012. The letter stated that the NYC Department of Education feels there are no foreseeable problems for the on time transition.

“I would like to thank the DOE for recognizing our concerns and those of our communities. I believe this is a great first step towards ensuring a successful incubation that minimally affects our children. In following this plan the DOE shows how they can successfully collaborate to meet the needs of our community,” Hevesi said.

“The parents, elected officials and community members have insisted from day one that the incubation at the Metro Campus only last for one school year. Receiving this official language from the Department of Education proves that our voices were heard on this matter. The three schools at the Metro Campus need our strong support during their early years and I look forward to continuing to advocate for their needs,” said Council Member Koslowitz.