#Bronx principals say outdoor classrooms too dangerous amid gun violence, drug use

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At least 5 needles were found near the fence behind the warning track of the baseball diamond at John Peter Zenger School in the Bronx.
Gregory P. Mango

Nearly two dozen Bronx principals say they’d love to have outdoor classrooms — if only they didn’t have to worry about their students getting shot or picking up used drug syringes off the ground.

The day after Mayor Bill de Blasio and schools Chancellor Richard Carranza crowed about turning city parks and streets near schools into classrooms amid the coronavirus, principals in the borough’s District 7 fired off a blistering letter.

“Our District has been in the grips of a wave of gun violence that is dangerously affecting and can further exacerbate the safety conditions for all members in our Learning Community,’’ the educators wrote.

“A few days ago, a woman was shot to death in front of one of our district schools,’’ the principals said — apparently referring to Patricia Vasquez, 25, who was killed early Saturday outside PS 1 and Alfred E. Smith HS in the Melrose section in District 7.

“Most of the parks next to the schools which we use for recess belongs to the Parks Department has to be cleaned daily as syringes and other drug paraphernalia are constantly found there each morning among broken beer bottles, urine etc.,’’ the letter said.

On Tuesday, The Post found at least five syringes littering the playground at PS 18 on Morris Avenue in District 7 in the South Bronx — and five more of the used drug instruments along the sidewalk outside, as three to four spaced-out, disheveled derelicts hung around the fence.

“We not only have to worry about the coronavirus, but now we have to worry about HIV and AIDS and whatever else is out there,’’ said Keyia Brown, a 42-year-old local home-health aide, to The Post when shown photos of the syringes.

“It’s definitely not safe, it’s not a good environment’’ for outdoor classrooms, she said.

“Are you going to put the kids back there? No! If you ask me, I’d tell the mayor and the chancellor that they are playing with the kids’ lives, they are making a mistake, a big mistake.”

The principals added in their letter, “How are we going to safeguard our students and staff from events that are out of our control due to the high crime in the area?


“We have yet to hear a plan to address this concern.’’

A District 7 principal who asked to remain anonymous told The Post that the city’s pitch “sounds good in theory —but in reality it’s much more complicated for us in these areas.

“Of course we would like to get the kids out. But a lot of the parks and the areas nearby are not in good shape, especially recently,’’ the educator said — referring to the city’s soaring crime rate.

“Or there’s a lot of traffic. To make this work would have required so much more time and guidance than we were given.”

The principals added that the notion of outdoor classrooms only further highlights “the divide between the haves and have-nots in our city.”

The District 7 principal added, “If you live in a nice neighborhood you have options. But it’s not so simple for a lot of schools in this district.”

The principals continued to urge the city to go all online for now instead of relying on a hybrid approach with some in-school learning because of health-safety concerns amid the virus.

Additional reporting by Tina Moore