Dear Chancellor Kamar Samuels, the Panel for Educational Policy, and the NYC Department of Education,

We, the community, formally oppose the proposal to establish a 9-12 Next Generation Technology High School at the current site of Lower Manhattan Community Middle School (LMC) and Richard R. Green High School. Instead, we request the opportunity to propose the expansion of LMC into a unified 6-12 citywide secondary school.

The reasons for our opposition include: 

• Lack of Community Engagement: This proposal process has been rushed, not transparent, had limited community engagement, and has had no data provided for the need for a 9-12 screened, technology-focused high school in this district. NYCPS have decided that this school should exist, not that students and parents across the city want and need a school like this.
• Detrimental Co-Location Impacts: The current campus has only one gym, no yard and no recess space for play. LMC’s 6th graders currently receive no gym class and a larger and separate school added to the building will not make this situation better. Our after school sports offerings also suffer with no space available for practice and competition. Co-location research points to the difficulties in co-location, and while this is a norm in NYC, it is rarely beneficial.
• Educational Assessment of Next Generation School Proposal: The arguments made for Next Generation High School ignore all recent data on technology career pathways, the impact on STEM-focused schools on achievement, AI impact on the mental health, social-emotional development, and critical needs of youth. 

We believe that the benefits of the 6-12 model and the expansion of LMC need to be considered and adapted by NYCPS. The 6 - 12 model provides:

• Stronger Teaching and Learning Efficiency: Expanding LMC avoids the inherent conflicts and bureaucratic redundancies of co-locating two distinct school cultures in a shared space. It allows for deeper control over the spaces to align with in school and after school educational and recreational outcomes. 6 - 12 models boost achievement and behavior, have lower drop out rates, have better behavior outcomes, and students have more access to advanced courses,and specialized teachers.
• Stability: A 7-year continuum eliminates the "Ninth Grade Slump," allowing staff to support students’ academic, emotional, and social growth from age 11 through 18.
• Safety and Culture: 6-12 schools foster a "family" environment with mentorship opportunities that reduce bullying and isolation.

We Request that NYCPS:

1. Halt the 9-12 Next Generation Technology School Proposal at the LMC site immediately.
2. Approve a proposal from LMC for  6-12 expansion, allowing current leadership to integrate technology responsibly within their proven arts-integrated liberal arts framework with citywide admissions.
3. Mandate True Collaboration: Future space utilization must be based on transparent, data-driven assessments of student needs centering on teaching and learning not pre-determined space allocation.

District 2 stands for community-led excellence, not speculative experiments. We urge you to invest in LMC’s proven success.

Sincerely,