Hundreds of NYC public schools develop their own plans to reduce class sizes

Hundreds of New York City public schools are creating plans to lower the number of students in each classroom ahead of a critical year to phase in the class-size law.

In October, the city’s Education Department announced a new program that lets principals champion their own class-size reduction proposals in exchange for more funding. More than 750 sites applied by the citywide deadline on Dec. 20, according to the United Federation of Teachers.

By fall 2028, any classroom without an exemption will be limited to between 20 and 25 students, depending on their grade level. So far, education officials have been able to avoid major policy changes while phasing in the law, which was passed after student enrollment dropped during the pandemic.

That’s likely to change by September when, under the law, 60% of classrooms will need to adhere to the caps. So far, fewer than 47% of classes fall below the limits, according to the latest report.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew in an interview with the Daily News was optimistic that the school-driven program will help the city comply with the caps.

“It’s been very successful at this point, more than any of us thought it would be,” Mulgrew said. “It’s over 700 schools [that] have applied, which would make that the third-largest school district in the United States.”

A public schools spokesperson declined to share an official tally, citing an ongoing review process. As part of the program, a joint committee of department officials and representatives for the teacher and principal unions will consider the funding requests. Schools will learn if they were approved for the program by this spring.

Some themes emerged from the applications, according to Mulgrew. Many schools, for example, suggested phasing in the caps by grade level, and then determined how many staff they would need to execute their plans.

“We’re optimistic that these schools will get the money they need,” the teachers union boss said. “It’s really people being very intentional with their plan about, ‘Listen, this is what we know we can do. This is why we want to do it.’”

While dramatic declines have leveled off, public school enrollment remains 98,500 students fewer than before the pandemic. As it stands, hundreds of schools have enough space in their current buildings to meet the class-size caps, but a large share still do not.

The number of schools applying for the class-size funding offers an early indication of how impactful the program will be. But many questions remain, including how many applications will get funding or the total budget for the new initiative.

“The exact level of resources committed will depend on budget availability based on appropriations from both the state and the city, as well as the size of needs identified by schools through this school-driven program,” the report states.

There is no cap on the number of schools that, if approved, can receive funding through the program, the schools spokesperson confirmed. Reviewers will consider each individual school’s plan and needs to determine funding on a case-by-case basis.

Mulgrew credited the idea to Tracy Ivanic, a science teacher at P.S. 153 in Queens, where class sizes can reach up to 31 children — despite five classrooms there sitting empty.

Ivanic, who’s worked in the city’s public schools for 28 years, said the city should prioritize schools like hers for the funding.

“The money was given to schools last year that didn’t have the space to do it, or didn’t really want to do it right now,” Ivanic said.

“That lit the fire under my behind,” she added, “and I was, like, well, then you should have an application and give it to the people who want to do it — because we want to do it, and we have empty classrooms in our school. So why not put the money where the money can be used right away?”

Originally Published: January 8, 2025 at 7:05 PM EST