As Clock Ticks, Little Opposition to MS 80 Closure

If there is widespread opposition to the proposed closure and re-imagining of Junior High School 80, Norwood’s oldest and largest middle school, it was not apparent at a Department of Education hearing on Monday night.

Hearing Tonight a Chance for MS 80 Community to Have Voice

The Department of Education is holding a hearing tonight at JHS 80 (commonly called MS 80), so the school’s community — parents, students, faculty, local residents, alumni, etc. — can weigh-in about the DOE’s decision to designate MS 80 for the federal turnaround program, which would essentially close the school and re-open it with a dramatically different administration, faculty and programming.

Bronx Links, Thursday

Here are the Bronx stories we’re reading this Thursday. Weather: Looks gorgeous right now, not a cloud in the sky with an expected high in the low 60s, but there’s a chance of showers in the afternoon.

State Offers Support to PS 51 Parents, City Another Story

In late March, the parents of current and former PS 51 students met with state officials to ask questions and discuss their concerns about potential health effects caused by exposure to contamination at the school’s former site on Jerome Avenue.

Bronx Mentoring Program Forced to Close

The Bronx One-on-One Mentoring, known as BOOM, a program for at-risk children operated by the American Latin Association of New York in Kingsbridge Heights, was forced to shut its doors recently due to budget cuts.

Saving MS 80’s Spirit

Since the Department of Education announced plans to close Middle School 80 at the beginning of March, a group of concerned parents and local activists have been attempting to advocate for keeping the spirit of the school, as well as its most valuable programs, intact.

Parents, Activists Organize Walk to Save MS 80 This Afternoon

A group of parents and local activists will be holding a walk this afternoon to save MS 80, the school on Mosholu Parkway that has already lost its principal after it was designated for the Department of Education’s turnaround program. Under the turnaround program, the school would undergo a complete facelift, which would include hiring a completely new staff (although up to 50 percent of the current staff could be rehired) and taking on a new name.