Senator Andrew Gounardes and Council Member Justin Brannan Urge NYC Mayor and DOE Chancellor to Build Specialized High School in Southern Brooklyn at Available Site

Brooklyn, NY –   State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Council Member Justin Brannan urged Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza to build a new specialized high school in southern Brooklyn at the site of the soon-to-be closed Bishop Kearney School at 2202 60th Street in Brooklyn. In a letter to the Mayor and the Chancellor, the elected officials pledged that they would work closely with the City agencies to bring a long-hoped-for specialized high school to the area. Students from three southern Brooklyn School Districts -- 20, 21 and 22 -- constitute about 25% of the enrolled student body at specialized high schools.

Citywide, there is great demand for more specialized high schools. In 2019, only 4,798 out of 27,521 applicants to specialized schools were offered admission. Gounardes and Brannan urged SCA to consider adding seats across the City to dramatically increase enrollment and diversity modeled after CUNY’s expansion in the ‘60s and early ‘70s.

“Every family deserves a world-class education for their child. By expanding the number of seats in specialized schools, we can grow the pie rather than arguing over how to slice it,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “In southern Brooklyn, we have a large number of high-achieving students who would greatly benefit from attending school closer to home. And by dramatically increasing the number of seats Citywide, we will extend educational opportunities to many more New York City children."

“Nobody wanted to see Bishop Kearney close but this is one way we can turn lemons into lemonade. We know our local school districts are going to continue producing some of the highest achieving students in the city. Why not give these smart and eager 8th graders an expanded choice of specialized high schools right here in southern Brooklyn and, in the process, create more opportunities for everyone – colloquially known as a win-win,” said Council Member Justin Brannan.