Rezoning plans divide Upper West Side community

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An Upper West Side community is divided over a new rezoning plan for their schools.

Residents in the Lincoln Towers say a new school rezoning plan is unfair and unreasonable. They're upset they may lose their longtime school p.s. 199 and think they're being squeezed out in favor of new luxury developments.

When Elise Reilly’s son, Hudson, was born, she assumed he'd be going to school across the street from the Lincoln towers, PS 199, but under a new scenario from the city it wouldn't happen. “We can see the school from my son's window. I hope we don't have to tell him he can't go there,” said Reilly.

Residents and elected officials gathered to protest those plans. The department of education says the intention is to decrease overcrowding in district 3 and increase diversity, but residents say the proposals would split up the towers. The plan means residents from two of the eight towers, 165 and 185 west end avenue, would go to PS 191, which is 7 blocks away. Kids in other parts of the towers buildings would attend the favored PS 199.

The doe insisting nothing is final and that "as we solicit feedback and continue these robust conversations, we'll work tirelessly to eventually propose a plan that best serves the district 3 students and families."

Parent Emily Ramsay has plenty of questions about some new neighbors who would find themselves inside the lines, “and who are they including new real estate and buildings that don't even help yet. How is that solving their overpopulation problem?"

A new proposal is expected to be presented in the next few weeks.