Many people have heard that there will be a 4th school coming into the building. At first, teachers and some students were told that it was just a proposal and that there's still a chance that it might not happen. Unfortunately based on information received, it seems like the 4th school will be entering the building in fall of 2011. The fact that it was just a "proposal" appears to be a lie.An e-mail was sent by the 4th schools principal, Lisa Gioe was sent to her current school, M.S. 447. In the e-mail she stated, "Without further delay, it is with bittersweet emotions that I announce to you that I will be leaving The Math and Science Exploratory School at the end of this school year, June 30th.  I am excited to be opening a new high school in the fall of 2011.  The high school will be a replication of Millennium, named Millennium II. It will be opening in the John Jay Campus Building in Park Slope, Brooklyn." Because the principal of Millennium 2 (M2) is already chosen, it is fair to assume that the 4th school is a done deal. An article on this topic was published on Monday November 29, 2010 by the Daily News. Stated that, “Department of Education officials have said the school is likely to be placed in the old John Jay High School building on Seventh Ave. in Park Slope,” This enforces the idea that  M2 is definitely going to be a part of this building.

On Thursday, November 18, a PTA meeting was held in the library. Teachers and students got to speak to officials from the DOE’s Office of Portfolio Planning. Gabby  Fighetti,one of the speakers, said, "the 4th school will be for all of Brooklyn. Millennium 2 will be a selective high school, only accepting students with a score of 3 or higher on their Math and ELA New York State Assessment Program (NYSTP).

Another piece of information discovered is that both Law and Journalism will no longer accept incoming 6th grade students in September, therefore closing their middle schools.Their middle school will phase out, not because of M2 but because the principals of Law and Journalism have decided to do so, to give the space for the 4th school.

 It was said that M2 will also have to go through metal detectors, but they might possibly have a different entrance to separate M2 from the existing schools (SSLJR) .There will be 108 ninth grade students enrolled in M2. Every year, 108 new ninth graders will be enrolled, which threatens the space of the Secondary Schools.

If the reason behind creating M2 is because Millennium was over populated then who is to say that they won’t grow and take over the entire building? Where would that leave us? The Department of Education has stated that M2 will not exceed 432 students but the DOE also stated that the school was “just a proposal,” the same day that Gioe sent her farewell email.

Our teachers heard about the 4th school not even six months ago, and you would think that making a new school takes time, and it does, but this seems like it’s been confirmed long before any information got out to our teachers, students, or parents.

 Rahsan Williams, an ELA teacher at the Secondary School for Research,was asked how she felt about the changes.. She stated that “the building is in such bad shape and is need of repairs. This should happen without a 4th school coming in.Students here deserve to have those improvements and it is a slap in the face to our current black and brown population if it takes a new school to get these improvements.”

There are many negatives to this so-called "proposal" but some positives. When M2 does arrive, the building will get the repairs it needs. However, the majority of the money will be given to M2 because they are a new school and need that money to start up. This also includes an extra $120,000. That extra money will be used for their purposes only. This also goes deeper than money. Think about the feed back that this school will be getting from this neighborhood. They are obviously going to prefer this “elite high school” (as said in the Daily News) than the schools that have been here for many years with a “checkered reputation”.

The reason that is given as to why our building is chosen to be put into this situation is because our building is currently "under-utilized." Currently, we have 1477 students enrolled in all 3 schools. The Department of Education lists a target building capacity, or "Footprint," of 2,104 students. Because we are 627 students short, the DOE decided to put a new school in John Jay Campus.  Even if by fall 2011 we get 627 students enrolled, M2 will still come in.

There might be a better reason or a more accurate reason as to why this is happening in the John Jay building, but it seems to be happening. It’s not the incoming students fault, so let’s not blame them. Let’s show them that we’re not as bad as they make us seem.

Instead of sugar coating it, lets call it what it is: An attack on under-privileged students. Let’s fight back, and prove the DOE wrong.