Q&A
Discussion of Grand Street Settlement's potential closure
0:54:03
ยท
59 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph questions why Grand Street Settlement is being considered for closure despite not meeting the criteria mentioned earlier. Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins explains the specific circumstances of Grand Street Settlement's case.
- Grand Street had enrollment below 95% two years ago and at the time of data collection for FY '25
- The main issue is their expired lease, which has been expired since 2019
- Projected increases for the lease were deemed exorbitant
- Negotiations are ongoing with the landlord to allow the program to continue until the end of the 2025-2026 school year
Rita Joseph
0:54:03
But grand settlement doesn't meet none of the criterias that you talked about, so why are they on the chopping block?
Simone Hawkins
0:54:09
So Grand Street did have enrollment below the ninety five percent two years ago and at the point in time in which we pulled the data for FY '25 they were also below.
0:54:18
But again as I mentioned, each of the three considerations were weighted different differently.
0:54:23
That particular lease issue is the one that really elevated them for consideration renewal.
0:54:30
That lease has been expired since 2019.
0:54:34
The projected increases for that lease were exorbitant and we wanted to ensure that we can negotiate something that was sustainable for the city in the long term.
Rita Joseph
0:54:43
And are in negotiations with the landlords currently?
Cora Liu
0:54:48
We have been in conversation with the landlords and were able to convince the landlord to allow the program to stay until the end of school year twenty five to twenty six while continuous working with with our partners at early childhood to figure out the next steps.