School supporters of P.S. 191 and P.S. 199, and their Upper West Side neighbors, are planning a rally Friday against plans to develop private high-rise buildings where the two schools now operate. One opponent asks why the city is considering a deal that gives away public land tax free with next to no local input.

An old florescent light fixture broke, and the smoke not only forced the evacuation of the building but also re-ignited the fight over how to replace toxic fixtures in the schools as quickly as possible.

Unhappy with the persistent overcrowding at two school districts in Queens, local leaders have convened a panel to propose solutions, such as taking a closer look at co-locations and district re-zoning.

The drama program at Scholar’s Academy is climbing back from Sandy’s storm damage to put on a spring show in its renovated theater. Equipment and costumes still needed.

Education officials said they can remove toxic PCBs from about 85 schools this summer and a handful more next summer, a pace that City Council members said they found unacceptable.

School officials got overall high marks from the City Council for their response to Sandy. They said additional school repairs and long-term fixes can’t happen without federal disaster relief funds.

One elementary school in crowded District 30 is getting more seats soon. The School Construction Authority announced plans to build an annex slated to open in 2016.

Union leaders reached agreement with the city to swap three vacation days in February for school days and return a clerical half day to one more day of instruction to make up for learning time lost to the Sandy and its aftermath.

An elementary school teacher sings the praises of his school community as it absorbed the repercussions from Sandy and prepared to return to its building in Rockaway Park, Queens.

Twelve more city schools will re-open on Monday, after having relocated because of storm damage from Sandy. Relocating has been an unsettling experience for teachers and students. It was especially challenging at the Goldie Maple School, from the Rockaways, which was moved twice and split between different sites in the last three weeks.