52 Chambers Street

New York, NY 10007

March 1, 2019

Dear Families of Grover Cleveland High School,

This letter is to inform you that the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is proposing to open
and co-locate a new high school site of an existing multi-sited District 75 school, P.S. 277Q, The Riverview
School (75Q277), to be called “P277Q@Q485,” in building Q485, beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. Q485
is located at 21-27 Himrod Street Queens, NY 11385 in Community School District 24. If this proposal is
approved, P277Q@Q485 will be co-located with Grover Cleveland High School (24Q485), known as Grover
Cleveland, an existing district high school serving students in grades 9-12.

A co-location means that two or more school organizations are located in the same building and may share
common spaces, such as:
 Auditoriums;
 Gymnasiums;
 Libraries; and
 Cafeterias.

Based on the projected increased need for District 75 high school seats across the borough, the District 75
Placement Office is seeking to increase its capacity to serve students who reside in Queens with the classification
of autism, intellectual disability or multiple disabilities on their Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Accordingly, the NYCDOE is proposing to open and co-locate P277Q@Q485 in building Q485, beginning in the
2019-2020 school year for students in grades 9-12 with the classifications described above.

If this proposal is approved, P277Q@Q485 is projected to serve students in eight Special Class (SC) sections in
6:1:1 and 8:1:1 classroom settings (ratio of students: teacher: paraprofessional). The preferred minimum size of
individual District 75 sites is eight sections, which helps to ensure sustainability.

The proposed opening and co-location of P277Q@Q485 is intended to help meet the projected demand for
District 75 high school seats throughout Queens. According to the District 75 office, there will be approximately
279 students graduating or aging out of high school, but there will be 399 students completing middle school who
will need a seat for high school for the 2019-2020 school year. Therefore, District 75 anticipates Queens high
school enrollment will increase by approximately 120 students for the upcoming school year.

If approved, this proposal will add approximately 48-64 District 75 seats in Q485 for high school students who
have a classification of autism, intellectual disability, or multiple disabilities on their IEPs. This proposal, if
approved, will also create an additional District 75 placement option for District 24 students as well as other
eligible students. Placements at P277Q@Q485 will be determined consistent with current District 75 enrollment
procedures.

This letter serves as notice that an EIS regarding this proposal has been posted on the NYCDOE’s website
at: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/2018-2019-pages/april-17-2019-
school-utilization-proposals.
We encourage you to visit that website often as we will update it regularly with important dates and new
information as it becomes available. Copies of the EIS are also available in the main office of Grover Cleveland.

This proposal must be voted on and approved by the Panel for Education Policy (PEP) prior to implementation.
We anticipate that the PEP will vote on several proposals, including this one, on April 17, 2019 at 6 p.m.
at Murry Bergtraum High School, located at 411 Pearl St., Manhattan, NY 10038.

In advance of that vote, a Joint Public Hearing for this proposal will be held in building Q485 on Monday April 1,
2019. All community members will have the opportunity to share feedback about this proposal at the Joint Public
Hearing, by emailing D24proposals@schools.nyc.gov, or by calling 212-374-7621.

If this proposal receives final approval from the PEP, what would that mean for you and your child(ren)?

 Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, P277Q@Q485 will serve approximately 48-64 students across
eight SC sections in 6:1:1 and 8:1:1 classroom settings in Q485.

 Grover Cleveland will continue to serve students in grades 9-12. The NYCDOE does not anticipate that
the opening of this site of P277Q@Q485 will impact current student admissions, enrollment, or
instructional programming at Grover Cleveland.

Questions about the proposal can be directed to T.R. Pearson in the NYCDOE’s Office of District Planning by
phone at 212-374-7621 or by e-mail at D24proposals@schools.nyc.gov.

The official Notice of Proposal and Joint Public Hearing is attached.

Sincerely,

Elaine Lindsey,
Queens High School Superintendent