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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 5, 2007
Contact: Sarah Krauss
(212) 669-4193; (917) 541-0936
Release #: 050-2007
Public Advocate Gotbaum Calls for Extended Hours at School Registration Centers
- Parents forced to miss work, wait in long lines -
BRONX - Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today called for extended hours at school registration centers, after talking with parents and families who were forced to wait in long lines while registering their children at PS/IS 194 in the Bronx. Office hours currently end at 3 p.m.
Public Advocate Gotbaum said: "The DOE seems to have failed to provide its own staff with correct information, leading to chaos and frustration for Bronx families. Families are being given the runaround. This could have easily been avoided."
Gotbaum recommends that enrollment center office hours be extended past 3 p.m. and that the DOE immediately provide school administrators with the right information about the enrollment process.
Some of the things Gotbaum observed during her visit include:
1. About 100 families waiting since this morning. For many of them this is the second day at the registration center.
2. Families made to wait to fill out paperwork only to be told to come back tomorrow.
3. Parents are being given the run around - staff at the registration center tells parent to go to the local school and the local school send parents back to the registration center.
Parents are upset they had to take off two days of work and might still not have placement for their children. They are also upset that the registration centers were not open 2 weeks ago so their children could have placement at start of school.
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