Category Archives: Resources

Introduction to Public School Districts

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A majority of Seward Park Cooperative families send their school age children to public schools. Unlike many places in the U.S., however, sending your child to public school in New York City is not as simple as just registering up at the neighborhood elementary school.

To start, our cooperative straddles the line between two completely separate school districts. Buildings 1 and 2 (on the east side of Clinton Street) are in District 1 while Buildings 3 and 4 are in District 2. And the two districts are quite different.

District 1 is generally regarded as having good elementary school choices in our area, but not very good middle schools. District 2 has less exciting elementary schools in our immediate area, but some excellent elementary schools elsewhere (if you can get in) and some excellent middle schools.

District 2 is much, much larger. District 1 is just the East Village and Lower East Side (below 14th, east of the Bowery down to Delancey, then east of Clinton below Delancey). District 2 is ALL the rest of Manhattan below 96th Street except the Upper West Side (including the Upper East Side, all of Midtown, Chelsea, Murray Hill, the Village, Soho, Chinatown, Tribeca, the Financial District, etc.).

Because of its size, District 2 has “zoned” schools, where kids who live in a school’s geographic zone get priority in the admissions process. District 1 is more unusual (possibly unique to our knowledge) in being a “choice” district, where everyone who lives anywhere in the district has an equal shot at getting into any school in the district. This has the advantage of equalizing access, but the disadvantage of scattering kids throughout the district. It also has had self-segregating effect.

There are also gifted and talented, special needs, dual language, and other special programs that sometimes blur the lines between districts.

The most popular public elementary schools in District 1 with Grand Street families (in order of proximity) seem to be Shuang Wen (dual language English/Mandarin), PS110 (neighborhood school with the only District 1 gifted and talented program) and the four progressive schools: Neighborhood, Earth, East Village Community and Children’s Workshop. The zoned elementary school for the Seward Buildings in District 2 is PS42, but there are kids who go to a number of other District 2 schools. NEST+m is another nearby public school that is highly sought after and has a citywide gifted and talented admissions process.

For more information:

What it means to be a director

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The Spark reached out to a few former directors of Seward Park Cooperative to ask for their thoughts on what it means to serve on the board. Following is former director Jodi Zagoory’s response:

When you serve on the co-op’s Board of Directors you have the responsibility to set policies which the management company is charged with carrying out, and to vote on the numerous and various issues that come up in the ordinary and usual business of a residential co-op. Your service is voluntary. You do not and may not receive any compensation in any form. The following are among the duties you will have:

  • You must keep confidential the information you receive regarding the co-op’s business and shareholders. You may not disclose any information about any shareholder to anyone other than to another director, management personnel and the co-op’s legal counsel.
  • You must not discriminate against anyone or make any decisions out of spite or revenge.
  • All of your decisions are made in accordance with what you think is in the best interests of the corporation and in accordance with New York State Business Corporation Law and the co-op’s governing documents (proprietary lease, bylaws and house rules).
  • A regular board meeting is held every month. You are encouraged to attend in person but if unable to you may attend by teleconference.
  • The agenda of the regular meeting is compiled and set by the president of the board.
  • Monthly agenda items include reviewing and discussing the co-op’s financial status based on a monthly financial report, and voting on sales, sublets, and adding/removing names from stock certificates.
  • Serving as a director does not mean that you have the power to order co-op staff to do anything. Directors tell management what the board wants the co-op’s staff to do, and management directs the staff.
  • You, your family and your friends may not receive any preferential treatment from staff or management.
  • You will make decisions on whether the co-op should enter into contracts and leases.
  • You will make decisions on whether the co-op should take legal or other action against a vendor, commercial tenant or shareholder.
  • You will make decisions on whether to and how much to spend on projects.
  • You will decide on who will be the co-op’s attorney and accountant.
  • You will decide on the co-op’s annual operating and capital budgets to ensure that the co-op’s financial obligations are paid.
  • You will decide whether the co-op should borrow money or pay off any loans.

Service on the board is for a term of three years. It is time consuming. You will be asked to review and make decisions about contracts, proposals, reports and other documents. You must take your responsibilities seriously as the decisions that you make impact many people and businesses. But like any form of voluntary public service, it is also rewarding and satisfying to help guide your community into the future.