Ps/Middle School 114 Belle Harbor

The concerns stated by the previous writer are valid but fail to tell the whole story.

This school, because of it's location in a beautiful seaside community with high property values, does not qualify for federal funds under the "Title" programs. I'm not sure if it's Title I or a different federal program but in either case it means that those schools with a large percentage of students who are not considered economically disadvantaged (like PS 114), do not receive additional federal funding.
It is for this reason, the principal announced earlier this year, that the school will be cutting out its language programs and part of the science program. I don't like it any more than anyone else, but I also understand it is the economic reality of our state and city in this day and age.

That being said, the school has excellent teachers who succeed at bringing out excellence in the students as demonstrated by the high pass rates on standardized English and Math testing. My child was reading by the end of Kindergarden, has a love of books and is above grade level in Math.

There is a safe and supportive atmosphere at this school where the children enjoy going to class and participate in many extra-curricular activities.
This is a neighborhood school. Most of the children know their classmates as their neighbors and grow up along side their friends from kindergarden through 5th grade.
They see their classmates after school at little league games or dance recitals or at the local stores. They play together throughout the summer and just as important, the parents know one another. This is increasingly rare in this age of charter schools, unusual zoning guidelines and de-personalization which is often encountered in New York City.
The school and the principal, from what I see, do an excellent job with the money they are given. Again, we are in hard economic times for the city and state.

On another note, the school is just completing a full exterior renovation which has really polished the look of the facility. The renovation will also include a large, new playground which is part of the Mayor's program to use school spaces as community spaces. That's another positive for PS 114.

For these reasons, and many more. I give the school five stars *****.

I was alarmed to learn of the proposed budget and educational cuts planned for PS/MS 114 for the coming year, including but not limited to:

1.The complete elimination of a foreign language program. There will no longer be spanish classes provided in any grade, K-8, leaving our students at a distinct and measurable disadvantage as compared to students from competing schools who have foreign language classes on their transcript when applying to middle and high school.
2. The major cuts to the science program, including eliminating the independent science program
3. Cuts to the arts program that the administration was unable to clearly define.
4.The school will be, and has been, using "mass preps" to cover teachers time out of the classroom in which students of varying grades are placed in the school yard together with unclear guidelines for supervision.

What's more is that these issues were brought up by parents at the PTA meeting and never announced or addressed with parents prior to this meeting. Such critical cuts in our childrens education should warrant a meeting of it's own, called by the administration, in which parents are informed of all proposed reductions in their childrens education. Parents need the opportunity to partner with the school administration, and teachers to come up with solutions.
Parents, and all homeowners in this community, should be concerned not only how the steady decline in education at PS/MS 114 impacts their children's futures, but also their property values.
Anonymous