After the PAL received an eviction notice from the Board of Education on March 26 to vacate Midtown Community School by August 1, 2016, community members were up in arms. Before the construction of Midtown Community School in 1977, the PAL had its own building on that property next to Roosevelt School, but when the Board of Education wanted to tear down the old school, along with the PAL building, it struck an agreement with the PAL, stipulating that it can use the Midtown Community School facilities for its afterschool program free of rent.
Eviction rescinded
Weeks after the eviction notice was sent, and after protests from the public, the dispute between the PAL and the BBOE culminated in an emergency meeting on Monday, June 13. The BBOED capitulated after calls from the mayor and other prominent residents and politicians to rescind its eviction letter and allow the public to discuss the matter with the board. The mayor issued a statement Monday afternoon announcing the rescindment, saying he wants an “open, public dialogue… on all school matters going forward.”
The board’s resolution was attached to Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti’s letter to the board requesting it present its arguments to the public. The board agreed to form a committee to “review the history and tenancy status” of the PAL, “engage in meaningful dialogue,” then make recommendations “regarding the terms and conditions of its continued occupancy.”
Public outcry
Before the emergency meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, a protest was held with community members of all ages in attendance to voice support for the PAL. They chanted “P-A-L,” and walked in a picket circle outside the Board of Education offices on Avenue B.
At the meeting, PAL Executive Director KT Torello faced his evictors directly, called the eviction unfair, and criticized the board for making the decision without public input.
School Board President Joseph Broderick offered an apology. He said the board’s intention was to open dialogue, and their decision to rescind the eviction was the right one. “What we were trying to get out of that was communication,” he said. “We were hoping for discussion, which we ended up having.”
Leadership support
Mayor Davis, Assemblyman Chiaravalloti, Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, and city council members were there in support. Chiaravalloti praised the board for caring for the Bayonne community. He said of the board and of the protesters, “This is democracy in action. This is the way it’s supposed to work.”
One protester, Jacqueline Bissainthe, said she was protesting because of “the way it was handled. They should inform the public before they make a decision.” She expressed appreciation for the PAL. “My family owes the PAL,” she said.“My mother had eight boys that all went to the PAL, and we had their support.”