Four More Schools Added to State's Troubled List

By Mark Scott

Buffalo, NY – Four more Buffalo schools have been placed on the state's School Under Registration Review -- or SURR -- list. They are Schools 38 and 53 and Burgard and Kensington High Schools.

Schools placed on the SURR list are furthest from state standards in math or English. At the four Buffalo schools, all were cited for poor student performance in math exams. Kensington was also cited for a high drop-out rate.

In most cases, schools improve during the registration review process and are eventually removed from the list. In the most severe cases, the schools are closed.

Superintendent Marion Canedo says more state funding is key to solving the problems at the troubled schools.

"This is what we're praying for because we have high proverty rates in our district," she said. "Our kids are so capable of meeting the standards. We know they can do it. But we need the resources to help close the achievement gap. Kids that need more can't have less."

The six other Buffalo schools on the SURR list are Schools 4, 11, 44, 69, 71 and 74. Canedo says she was hoping at least one of them would have come off the list.

"School 71 in particular did an outstanding job, and we thought it would come off. Four of the other schools actually made huge improvements as well," she said. "However, we were told they wouldn't do that (remove the schools from the SURR list) after just one year."

Officials of the state Education Department will visit the four Buffalo schools added to the SURR list yesterday to provide recommendations for improvement. Currently, there are 100 schools statewide that are deemed in need of emergency help.