A ‘gift’ for kids in three boros

CITY EDUCATION officials are bringing new gifted programs to three underserved neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens — even as the number of students citywide who applied for the programs and met standards fell slightly.

The new gifted classes begin at schools in Morris Heights, East New York and Springfield Gardens in September and will enroll roughly 75 students combined.

The city has been under pressure for years to expand access to gifted classes and has added a number of new classes to underserved neighborhoods since 2016.

Citywide, 32,516 students applied for gifted and talented programs in public schools in 2018, down from 34,902 in 2017. In 2018, 9,034 students met eligibility standards for the classes, compared to 9,997 in 2017.

Deputy Chancellor Josh Wallack said the city is committed to ensuring the gifted programs meet the needs of each student.

“G&T programs are one of many high-quality elementary school options for students across the city,” said Wallack.

But education advocate Jenny Sedlis of the pro-charter group StudentsFirstNY said the new programs do too little.

“These actions don’t begin to scratch the surface of what parents want,” Sedlis said.