By Amanda Moses
After 50 years serving as a middle school for the Spring Creek Towers (SCT) community, Gateway Intermediate School (IS) 364—also known as the “Garage School”—has closed its doors for good.
Local school administrators learned of a potential merger with Frederick Douglass Academy (FDA) VIII, which is already housed within Abe Stark Primary School (PS) 346’s building on 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, in January 2024; however, it wasn’t until February when they were informed of The Panel Educational Policy’s (PEP) final decision to close the middle school due to what they cite as under enrollment.
Many locals are calling it an end of an era where three to four generations of families proudly stated: “I survived the Garage School,” with a smile on their face.
A Legacy
Historically, IS 364 was one of the first amenities to be created when Starrett City, now known as SCT was developed. The residential complex was advertised as a “City within a City,” and as they welcomed their first tenants in October 1974—about 400 families—it became abundantly clear that educational facilities needed to be built. According to the Spring Creek Sun’s archives, the school’s lease of the Starrett City Intermediate School—also known as the “Garage School”—was signed by Starrett City Inc. and the Board of Education in 1975.
“The opening of the schools will provide our residents with a new neighborhood school. We are working very closely with the School Committee of the Tenants Association and the local school board to see to it that the finest quality education is available at Starrett City,” General Manager Robert C. Rosenberg told the Spring Creek Sun in 1975.
Located at 1426 Freeport Loop and its annex building at 1461 Geneva Loop, both within SCT Garages, the middle school provided over five decades of education to local families even before PS 346 was built (the elementary school opened in late 1976.)
A Memorable Farewell
On June 27th, IS 364 hosted an Alumni Day where former graduates and staff joined together one last time to bid farewell to the “Garage School.”
It was a somber afternoon, the echo of empty hallways, desks strewn around classrooms, old school books piled in the corner, locker doors open with bits of balled up paper, and old photos still hanging on bulletin boards were all things that were left behind on the middle school’s final days. Former graduates walked the hallowed halls, some laughing as they reminisced about times where they played games together and met their best friends.
“It’s amazing to see everyone come here and reminisce on the time we spent at IS 364. When I came here in 2007, I was a shy quiet nerdy kid,” Mr. Williams said, a former student who is an EMS worker at Jamacia Hospital, “The family oriented vibe of 364, all of the teachers, the staff, from the principal—I had Mr. Kelly at the time and Ms. Fraser was the Dean—but from the principal to the custodians everybody made sure they were there for the students. It was just love all around.”
Williams’ siblings each graduated from IS 364, and it was a cherished memory with his family.
“I am proud of everybody here. Although I don’t know you all, you guys are family. We are all 364,” Williams said.
With tears welling in her eyes, Principal Nicole Edmund Fraser looked around at the alumni with a sad smile on her face. After 26 years as an educator in IS 364, she must say goodbye to her school.
“These are not tears of sadness. These are absolute tears of joy. You don’t realize the impact you have on people when you see them day-to-day,” Edmund Fraser began, “To watch you guys all come back where the stories of what you doing, stories of how you’ve been, I am absolutely grateful. I am grateful I was able to make a difference. I am grateful to know that you remembered something about the school that made you want to come back. I am overwhelmed.”
“Even though I thought I’d retire from Gateway 364 that wasn’t meant to be,” Fraser added. “No matter where I am going to go, you are going to be my inspiration that I am going to be okay.”
Photos by Amanda Moses
