Bronx politicians are spearheading a not-in-my-backyard campaign to block a charter middle school building from opening on their turf — a stance advocates claim smacks of racism.
The International Leadership Charter Middle School is building a new facility at 306 West 232nd Street in Kingsbridge — near the International Leadership high school at 3030 Riverdale Avenue.
The expansion of International Leadership school was approved by the state.
But state Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, his son, Councilman Eric Dinowitz, and state Sen. Robert Jackson oppose the charter’s location, which is adjacent to New York Teachers Housing Corp Co-Op/Tibbett Towers and the Edwardian and Corlear Gardens.
Tenants in the co-ops don’t want the school facility — which will serve mostly black and Hispanic students — as their neighbor.
Dinowitz distributed an alarmist flier promoting a May 13 anti-charter school rally that urged: “Stop the International Leadership Charter School construction …. traffic, pollution, noise, safety, flooding.”
The assemblyman said he objected to the “construction of a large building in a very inappropriate location that will be a school for as many as 300 students on a site where a single family home once stood.”
In an April newsletter, Dinowitz claimed the charter school “would have a very negative impact on the community.”
He and others also complained about damage resulting from the construction — a potential sinkhole in the parking lot next door.
“I do not believe there is even a need for seats that this middle school would provide, which would be part of the International Leadership charter school located only a block away, because that school has already seen a significant reduction in their enrollment and even applied to the Department of Education for a revision in their charter, reducing the number of students,” Dinowitz said. “Right now, however, I think all construction must stop because of the damage that is being done next door to it.”
Advocates for the International Leadership school, however, claim opposition led by local elected officials for a school that will serve mostly disadvantaged black and Latino students is despicable and hints at racism.
“It’s an outrage. They’re redlining where our kids can go,” said Miriam Raccah, chief executive officer of the Black, Latinx, Asian Charter Collaborative.
“They have chosen to fight a school for Caribbean and Latin American students. Opponents said the school would bring drug dealers to the neighborhood. It’s crazy.”
International Leadership High School, which opened in 2006, has a 95% graduation rate and garnered recognition as a top high school from US News and World Report — with 99% of graduates accepted to college, including to New York University, Fordham, Manhattan College, Barnard College, as well as State University of New York and City University of New York.
“It is beyond disappointing, that Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has overstepped his role as a public servant to take sides with a NIMBY group, rather than supporting the education of hundreds of children of color who are from constituent families,” said Elaine Ruíz López, CEO of the International Leadership Charter Schools.
“No one has the right to dictate where a public charter school should be located. We can build our charter school as of right in the neighborhood that we have served for 17 years,” the school leader added.
When contacted by The Post, Dinowitz doubled down on his opposition and slammed backers of the school for playing the “race card.”
“Using the race card is most unfortunate. There are no racial connotations. It’s kind of ugly. It’s the not kind of example to set for students. It’s a red herring,” he said.
“There is widespread opposition in the Kingsbridge community to the construction at 306 West 232nd St. It has nothing to do with whether or not this is a charter school ….A diverse coalition of Kingsbridge residents opposes it,” Dinowitz insisted.
According to Dinowitz, Lopez has refused to meet with residents surrounding the new school — and argues there are 13 other schools in the vicinity.
“Adding to the already huge traffic problems every morning and afternoon with the addition of as many as 300 students in the area is a significant problem in the eyes of the neighborhood residents. Sadly, they are being very bad neighbors,” Dinowitz said.
The fight over a charter school in the Bronx is the latest resistance to the publicly funded, privately managed alternative schools.
The United Federation of Teachers has filed lawsuits to block charter schools from sharing space with traditional public schools in buildings in Far Rockaway Queens and Brooklyn.
Meanwhile, lawmakers object when charter schools open their own facility and when they try to co-locate in a city school building.
Last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislature approved a budget deal to allow just 14 new charter schools to open in New York City, following a grueling political fight with anti-charter teachers’ unions and their allies in Albany. Though Hochul sought to lift the regional cap for New York City to allow up to 100 more open, lawmakers rejected the request.
Discussions subsequently centered on allowing 22 unused “zombie” charters to be reissued to new schools, 14 in the city and eight in the rest of the state.