An education policy panel will vote next week to merge two small middle schools in Manhattan.
The city is seeking to combine the schools due to low student enrollment.
The education department argues that the 250 “West Side Collaborative” middle school has become too small.
Currently, the center serves only 75 students. The proposal is for it to merge with the nearby Lafayette Academy, which has about 158 students.
However, some parents and teachers say the plan feels more like closure, because they will lose the campus, staff, name and programs.
The school is part of the PROSE program, which allows schools to vote to adopt innovative and progressive teaching practices outside of union rules.
For its part, the Department of Education says that this may continue, after the merger.
Parents of the students are asking that other options to increase enrollment be considered, such as welcoming more asylum seekers.
The panel will vote on the merger on April 19.
