NYC DOE Tools

DOE Mapping Utility

SchoolMaps is a web-based tool for locating and mapping schools in New York City. The site uses Google Maps to display the maps.

Recent Updates:

1/3/06
- Added destination name to Google directions.

10/10/05
- Fixed the map multiple feature to map more than 9 schools. The max is now 999.
- Added the ability to add a custom zoom level to any map via the URL by appending "&zoom=#" to the end, where # is an integer between 1 to 18, inclusive. Google uses 0 through 17 but SchoolMaps can't use 0 since if you pass PHP a zero it thinks that you didn't pass any zoom variable at all. You probably won't want to zoom farther away than 10 or so.
- Added the ability to give a custom name to your map of schools by appending "&title=TITLETEXT" where TITLETEXT is your map's name. This, for example, could be "Joe's Schools" or something of that nature. I need to figure out a GUI for this.
- Note: All links to maps can be considered permanent, including maps of your own list of schools, including title and zoom. So you can email those links around and expect the site to behave properly.

10/7/05
- Added subway directions via nysubway.info. This is still experimental and not completely functional. It seems to work for Manhattan schools. I am attempting to work with the developer of nysubway.info to improve integration.

10/1/05
- Added a new logo to the pages.

9/30/05
- I fixed the rest of the broken addresses. I used geocoder.us to get the geocodoes for many locations that Google has problems with. That should cover everything so if something looks wrong let me know.

9/29/05
- I cleaned up the address database quite a bit. Google had problems mapping addresses such as "3 Avenue" and instead requires that you use "3rd Avenue". There were almost 500 schools with addresses like this (as they were in that DOE spreadsheet I found with the addresses). I scripted through them all to fix the problem.
- You can now type in a list of school codes and generate a map of all of those schools. I will eventually integrate this into the main entry box.
- I'm also looking as to how I can integrate this subway map site as a source for directions.
- This is the first date that I'm keeping any sort of changelog. Work on this site dates back to April 2005.

FAQ:

Q: Does Google let you do this?
A: Yes! Through the use of the Google Maps API third parties, such as myself, are able to make their own sites based on Google Maps. There are limitations to what Google provides and there are some quirks as well. I had previously used a hack to get the same functionality but one day I discovered that my site no longer worked because Google had changed something. That same day the API was announced and I moved over and became *legit*. ;-)

Q: How do you know where all these schools are?
A: I don't. I found an Excel spreadsheet on Google back in the spring of 2005 that had all of the information that is used on this site. If anything is innacurate, please let me know.

Q: How did you make this?
A: I took the aforementioned spreadsheet and created a MYSQL database from it. I wrote code in PHP to allow for the info from any school to be summoned and displayed as a map. The database and web site are hosted on my web site semaya.net, hosted by Powweb. I coded everything by hand on my PowerBook G4 and PowerMac G5 using SubEthaEdit to edit and Transmit for FTP. This is an ongoing project.

Q: My school is showing up in the wrong place?
A: Please let me know. The data in this map isn't perfect. As I've said, I found an Excel spreadsheet on the web that contained all this info, with street addresses spelled identically to that of the DOE's own web site. The DOE site had trouble mapping the same addresses that my site originally had, but I have resolved all known issues. Previously, if Google couldn't understand an address it would map it somewhere in Kansas at the center of the continential US. More recently this was changed to a point in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa at the point where the Prime Meridian and Equator cross (the center of the earth). Regardless, I was glad to remove all of these points recently.

Q: Why does it need the school code? My school doesn't have a code, just a name.
A: All schools in the New York City Department of Education have a code number, they may just not use it. I am currently working on a search feature that will help find schools by name as well as zip code.

Also, check out my other NYC Schools project, SchoolBus.

This service is provided as-is and without warranty. I cannot and will not take responsibility for the accuracy or availability of the information through this service. This service is in beta form, meaning that it is an unfinished work and there are likely bugs and other anomalies.