Paterson holds meeting for parents of School No. 3 which was shut down
Superintendent Dr. Laurie Newell assured the parents that everything will be the same as originally assigned, including teachers staying with their students.
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It is two weeks before the new school year begins, and some parents in Paterson say that they still have unanswered questions when it comes to where their children will be going to school. This as Public School No. 3 was shut down because the building was a health risk for students and staff, according to city officials. Part of the ceiling on the first floor at School No. 3 fell on July 28.
There were at least 302 students enrolled at the school. At a community meeting held Tuesday evening, Superintendent Dr. Laurie Newell assured the parents that everything will be the same as originally assigned, including teachers staying with their students. Newell said that the only thing that would change is the lessons would be held in different buildings.
But some parents tell News 12 New Jersey that they were not informed of the decision being made and they say they have no idea which school their students were assigned to.
“I am disappointed because they have to let us know what is happening with our kids. They didn’t inform anything,” says parent Graciela Tatis.
MORE: Paterson school closing due to safety concerns after ceiling collapse last month
Tatis says she does not know which school her son Didian will be attending in the fourth grade. She says some of the schools are too far away from her home.
Newell said that virtual school “is no longer an option.”
School No. 3 was built in 1899. Some parents who attended the school when they were children say that it's been falling apart for a while.
“As a student [in 1996] I can recall…dust will call from the ceiling. So it is not new,” says Erica Escobar.
School officials say that the students were not exposed to any asbestos.
A meeting will be held on Wednesday to coordinate logistics for transportation to the new schools.
