A working group tasked with providing guidance on implementing New York state’s new class size law has called for enrollment caps at some overcrowded schools, moving preschool programs out of elementary school buildings and incentives to boost the teaching force in the city.
But difficulty achieving consensus within the group hints at the broader challenges the city faces in complying with the law. A handful of dissenters are releasing a minority report, saying the law has the potential to cause “significant disruption” throughout the school system.
The working group’s 55-page report is meant as a guide for New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.
The Department of Education, meanwhile, has said it cannot implement the law without additional funding.
In a statement released alongside the recommendations Monday, Schools Chancellor David Banks noted the city has met the law’s class size requirements for the first two years, but warned that continued compliance will require “changes, tradeoffs and additional resources” across the city’s public schools.
The city’s Independent Budget Office has said the city would need to hire as many as 17,700 teachers, costing between $1.6 billion and $1.9 billion annually. Finding additional classroom space could add billions more in costs.
The vast majority of the working group argues the law is achievable with investments and key changes in policy. Those members argue that meeting the mandate is also essential for students’ wellbeing.
The recommendations call for capping enrollment at over-enrolled schools when there are underutilized schools nearby — although some parents worry this could make it harder to get a slot at high-performing schools.
The group also recommends repurposing existing space within schools, but cautions that should not be done at the expense of arts, electives or accelerated classes. Merging colocated schools to consolidate space — and staggering arrival and dismissal times when…
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