8/3/2019 Letter to Mayor Bloomberg regarding 311 school zone misinformation

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MICAH Z. KELLNER65

thAssembly District

THE ASSEMBLYSTATE OF NEW YORK

ALBANY COMMITTEES

BanksCities

Corporations, Authorities and CommissioConsumer Affairs and Protection

Racing and WageringSteering

654 Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248 (518) 455-5676, FAX (518) 455-52821365 First Avenue, New York, NY 10021 (212) 860-4906, FAX (917) 432-2983

E-mail: KellnerM@assembly.state.ny.us

February 7, 2012

Hon. Michael R. BloombergMayor

City Hall

New York, NY 10007

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,

I am writing to you in response of inaccurate information being disseminated by the New York

City 3-1-1 service (311) to parents on the Upper East Side, as well as my office, regarding the zonedelementary schools students would attend during the 2012-2013 academic school year.

As you may be aware the Department of Education (DOE) has recently approved new elementary

school zones on the Upper East Side for the second time in three years in an attempt to reduce classroom

overcrowding. The current rezoning includes the creation of a new elementary school, P.S.527, located at323 East 91st Street. Many families looking to enroll their child in Kindergarten by the March 2nd

deadline have been calling 311 to inquire which school they are entitled to apply to only to be directed to

the wrong school. It appears that this is occurring because while the DOE has updated their website toreflect the new 2012-2013 school zones, 311 operators are still using the 2011-2012 school zone map.

Based on the misinformation given by 311, parents have been applying to schools where their child is

ineligible for enrollment. The DOE has told my office that they have forwarded the new zone lines to 311,

yet despite this, 311 operators have not been referring to the 2012-2013 map when advising parents. In anattempt to verify whether 311 was giving out correct information, my office called 311 inquiring about

future kindergarten enrollment for a student living at 1601 Third Avenue, which is located in the P.S. 151

zone for 2011-2012 but in the P.S. 527 zone for 2012-2013. 311 incorrectly told my office that the studentwould be attending P.S. 151 for the 2012-2013 school year.

With the already extensive process of getting a child into a zoned school and the fear of being

waitlisted, Upper East Side parents should not be unduly burdened with misinformation as well. Therecent school rezoning and the creation of three new schools has made the process of student enrollment

on the Upper East Side confusing enough without 311 adding to it. I therefore request that immediate

action be taken to ensure that 311 incorporate the updated 2012-2013 school zone map into its services.

Since its inception New Yorkers have come to rely on 311 and expect the information theyreceive to be correct and up-to-date and I am sure that with these changes 311 can continue to properlyserve the needs of Upper East Side parents. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate

to contact me at (212) 860-4906.

8/3/2019 Letter to Mayor Bloomberg regarding 311 school zone misinformation

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Very truly yours,

Micah Z. Kellner

Assembly Member

cc: Cas Holloway, Deputy Mayor for Operations

Liz Weinstein, Mayors Office of Operations, Director