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NEW YORK (AP) — Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan Monday to close three Brooklyn schools facing low enrollment and high staff turnover.
The plan to close the two middle schools and one high school must be approved by the Panel for Educational Policy.
It is a new tactic for the de Blasio administration, which has aimed to turn around struggling schools by offering extra support through the Renewal Schools program.
De Blasio's predecessor, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, closed dozens of struggling schools during his three terms.
"Closing a school is always a difficult decision," schools Chancellor Carmen Farina said in a statement. "I am committed to holding all our schools accountable to meeting the needs of our students."
The three schools slated to close after the 2015-2016 school year are Peace Academy Middle School, the School for the Urban Environment and Foundations Academy High School.
Jeremiah Kittredge, CEO of Families for Excellent Schools, a group that's critical of de Blasio's education policies, suggested that more schools should be closed.
Kittredge said the plan "leaves tens of thousands trapped in schools that are just as dysfunctional as these three."
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