East School’s fate remains undecided

A year after the Long Beach Board of Education tabled its decision on the future of East Elementary School, the board and the school district continue to monitor enrollment trends as the school’s fate hangs in the balance.

Last January, the board postponed closing East School for two years while it consults with experts and tracks how many students leave, stay or enroll in the district. The 83-year-old school is the district’s oldest and most deteriorated facility, and the board considered converting it into an administrative building as part of the district’s Preservation Plan to upgrade its buildings. But many East School parents argued that the school should be renovated and remain open.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Greenberg said that the district has always closely monitored enrollment trends, as it has over the past year. Greenberg acknowledged that the district has noted a small decline in enrollment.

“The piece out there that’s really unknown is how the economy will or will not have an effect on enrollment trends, either negatively or positively,” Greenberg said. “And that’s something we’re concerned about.”

Another factor in the board’s ultimate decision on the school may be Gov. David Paterson’s recent proposal to cut state aid, which would mean a loss of about $3 million for the district. “Certainly we’re keeping a very focused eye on the state aid and revenue picture as well,” Greenberg added.

School board President Lynn Gergen said the 2010 census will also play a roll in the board’s deliberations next year. “We may look at getting one more report on the demographics,” Gergen said. “There’s a lot of considerations to be taken ... and a portion of that is how much will be saved in the community.”

She added that the board will also consider the financial and educational needs of two large schools and two small ones.

“I think parents are still very much aware that we’re in the middle of the two-year time frame,” said Gerri Maquet, an East School parent who was the co-PTA president when the board made its decision last year. Maquet said that the school’s supporters are speaking with parents of children in kindergarten and first grade in the hope of rallying more support in the future.

“I think we’re all still really committed to trying to keep our school open and trying to maintain the educational system in Long Beach that has worked this whole time,” said Lisa Mackay, a member of the parent group Friends of East School. The group continues to meet and discuss the issues and stay involved with the school community, Mackay added.

Jodi Gusler, co-president of the East School PTA, said the group is trying to keep parents and the community informed about the school’s future. "We're trying to get everyone as informed as possible and as involved as possible," Gusler said, adding that the best way for parents to stay informed is to attend Board of Education meetings and visit the district's Web site. Going forward, she said, the PTA hopes to hold an informational meeting at the school.

Neil Sterrer, a Long Beach real estate agent who organizes roundtable discussions among the district and local agents, said he has not seen many families moving into the area. “A majority of the rentals that we’ve made over the past year have been to young professionals,” said Sterrer, owner of Sterrer Realty in the West End. Young professionals, he explained, are adults between ages 27 and 38 who often have no children.

Sterrer did point out that he has not seen young families moving out of the area, but rather moving from smaller dwellings to larger ones.

Gergen said that because the board is in the process of collecting information, there have been no formal public discussions on the fate of East School, but the board welcomes questions at its monthly meetings.

Comments about this story? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.