At a town hall meeting to discuss persistent problems with gang activity in the area, school officials at Norwood’s MS 80 came out against a city plan to dramatically overhaul the school by replacing half of its staff.

MS 80, on Mosholu Parkway North in the Bronx, has been labeled a “turnaround” school by the city. If the turnaround plan is approved by the state, the entire MS 80 staff will have to reapply for their jobs and only a maximum of 50 percent of the current staff will be able to return.

While the school will remain a zoned school and the number of faculty and staff members will not be cut, Children’s First Network representative Bob Cohen said the changes would also include re-opening the school with a new number. The turnaround designation also opens the door to increased federal funding, Cohen said.

The middle school is one of 33 the city plans to overhaul after the schools failed to meet state standards, Cohen said.

Parents were skeptical about the changes having a positive impact.

“The worst thing you can do [to students] is not provide a consistent structure,” said Parent Association head Cecilia Donovan. “You take away resources and expect them to function the same way? It’s like you’re setting them up for failure.”

Donovan said the Parents Association would look into networking with other schools going through the same procedure. She said her daughter in the sixth grade has a “great” relationship with her teachers.

At the same time, parents at the hearing discussed how to tackle the endemic gang activity and violence that has saddled the school for years.

Parents said gangs hover around local parks and wait for students leaving the middle school in the afternoon. Donovan said she’s heard of gang members approaching students to try to pull them into the gang. She said that while fights in the school do occur, students mostly encounter problems outside of school.

Fernando Tirado, district manager for Community Board 7, said neighborhood parents have a responsibility to their kids. “We need parents to be more involved,” he said. “When we try have programs here, nobody participates.”

The school’s walls no longer prominently display graffiti tags that identify certain gangs, said Lovey Mazique-Rivera, the school’s principal. Still, she echoed Tirado in emphasizing parental involvement. “When parents call me and say ‘the school is bad,’ what you are telling me is that my kids are bad. So let’s start collaborating about what’s going on.”

Ed. note: A version of this story appears in the Feb. 9-22 issue of the Norwood News.