QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, August 31, 2017 Page 16
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Time is almost up for Renewal Schools Announcement on which will be shut down will come in November by Anthony O’Reilly
Ninety-four were in the program when it launched. The Aug. 22 press conference focused on Mayor de Blasio on Aug. 22 said he will announce in November which renewal schools state test scores and while Renewal Schools at will be closed or merged, but that the city will the elementary and middle school levels look at a number of factors before making a showed some improvements on those exams — decision and may even give some schools more a few saw math scores decline — Fariña said there will be other factors examined. time to meet their goals. “We have a phenomenal renewal team, but “Some schools have done really, really well,” the mayor said at a press conference in we’re also going to be doing a little work on the Brooklyn. “Others may need some more time, renewal team and making much more specific direct instruction … but are showing conbecause the test scores sistent progress so matter, but they’re we’re going to look at only one of the multithat option … I am am certain some will ple measures,” the certain some will be be slated for closure.” chancellor said. slated for closure.” Each renewal The impending — Mayor de Blasio, speaking on school was also tasked announcement will renewal schools with improving in cercome about t h ree tain categories, such years after de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña as attendance or graduation rates. A review of statistics available on the announced the launch of the Renewal Schools, which created longer school days at some Department of Education’s website shows struggling institutions, while providing $150 some of the renewal schools in Queens are million in resources to address crucial issues. better off than others. For example, Martin Van Buren High The Panel for Educational Policy in March voted to close five and merge three more of the School in Jamaica saw its four-year graduation rate jump from 55 percent in the 2014-15 schools in Brooklyn and the Bronx. “And you should expect more of those,” de school year to 66 percent in 2015-16. Numbers for the 2016-17 school year were not Blasio said. Associate Editor
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Renewal schools, such as John Adams High School in Ozone Park, were given three years to improve. Mayor de Blasio announced last week that he will reveal which will close in November FILE PHOTO of this year. available on the DOE’s website. At August Martin High School, the fouryear graduation rate in 2015-16 year was 39 percent, a 14-percentage point increase from the 2014-15 year. The average four-year graduation rate in Queens in 2015-16 was 76 percent.
Martin Van Buren managed to meet or exceed targets for improving attendance — at 85.6 in 2015-16, above the 84.9 percent goal that was set — and college readiness index, hitting the 30.3 percent mark it was striving for. August Martin fell 0.7 percentage points continued on page 25
Are anti-OD kits needed in schools? Most heroin users not of school age, but overdoses are on the rise by Anthony O’Reilly
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Associate Editor
As the opioid and heroin addiction crisis continues to affect Americans of every demographic, a Bronx councilman is looking to protect the youngest New Yorkers before it’s too late. Councilman Rafael Salamanca (D-Bronx) last Thursday introduced a bill that would require every public school to stock opioid and heroin anti-overdose kits, such as ones with the drug Naloxone, used to revive a person suspected of having overdosed. “We’ve seen too many overdoses related to opioids this year, and overdose numbers continue to rise alar mingly amongst teens and young persons in particular,” said Salamanca in a prepared statement. But are the kits necessary in schools? Mayoral spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie said the city “monitors substance use in our schools closely, and see[s] no need to stock kits on site.” “We are making naloxone more available than ever by distributing
As the heroin and opioid addiction crisis grows, a Bronx councilman is looking to get anti-overdose kits into every public school. A mayoral spokeswoman FILE PHOTO said the kits are not necessary in schools. 100,000 kits across the City, and equipping all first responders with this medication,” Lapeyrolerie said in an email. “The safety and wellbeing of our students always come f irst, and we look for ward to reviewing this bill.”
From 2000 to 2016, there were 69 opioid-involved overdose deaths among 15- to 18-year-olds in the city, none of which took place at a public school. Despite that, Salamanca said the drugs’ use is increasing in every
age group and action should be taken sooner rather than later. “We’re seeing continuously increasing levels of opioid related deaths in our community, and with reports of OD’s on the rise amongst young people nationwide, I want to be proactive in finding ways to prevent unnecessary tragedies,” the councilman said. “This is one simple way we can start doing so.” In 2016, 52 15- to 24-year-olds died from heroin-involved overdoses, accord i ng to the cit y Department of Health. That’s up from 44 in 2015 and 34 in 2014. The number of Queens residents of all ages who died from heroin jumped by 37 from 2015 to 2016 — from 83 to 120. In southwest Queens — defined by the DOH as Kew Gardens, Wo o d h aven , R ich mond H i l l, Ozone Park and Howard Beach — there were 19 overdose deaths in 2015 and 29 last year, a 53 percent increase, a DOH spokeswoman said. There were 14 deaths in the same areas in 2014. But the main obstacle in the city’s fight against opioids is fen-
tanyl, which is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. The city DOH in a June report said the opioid “drove the increase in overdose deaths from 2015 to 2016.” In 2016, 72 percent of overdose deaths involved heroin, fentanyl or both. There were 99 fentanyl-related deaths in Queens from 2000 to 2014 and 158 involving the opioid and heroin. Councilman Ror y Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) said while he’s not yet heard of heroin being a problem in public schools, he’s not going to wait for it to become one. “It’s literally a life saver,” said Lancman in an interview. “I cannot imagine why we would not have it in our schools, just in case. I’m not aware of any overdoses in high schools in my district, but I’m all for not waiting around for one.” Although the child wasn’t using the drug, a 6-year-old in March at PS 209 in Whitestone was found with his mother’s heroin. The child showed the drug, along with paraphernalia, to a teacher Q who then called the police.