Parents’ organization “PLACE NYC,” which supports quality education, released a survey on February 2nd indicating that if New York City were to eliminate the Gifted and Talented (G&T) program for kindergartens in the fall of the 2027 school year, nearly half (46%) of parents stated they would not send their children to New York City public schools. The survey also revealed that close to 70% of parents oppose the elimination of the Gifted and Talented program, with 66% of surveyed parents supporting an expansion of the program, particularly at the kindergarten level. Only 11% of parents were against the establishment of Gifted and Talented classes.
“PLACE NYC” interviewed 521 parents from the five major administrative districts. Overall, 68% of respondents were against canceling the kindergarten Gifted and Talented admission mechanism. Among parents planning to apply to New York City public schools within the next four years, the opposition rate increased to 73%.
The survey questioned parents on how they would respond if the city government were to terminate the kindergarten Gifted and Talented program. Results showed that nearly half of the surveyed parents indicated they would not choose public schools, including considering private, parochial, or charter schools, or even contemplating moving out of New York City. The remaining parents might opt to switch to district elementary schools or move to districts with better-performing schools.
At a time when the related survey results were released, New York City public schools face the ongoing challenge of declining student enrollment. Over the past decade, the total number of students in NYC public schools has decreased by 187,312 people, marking a drop of over 19%, ranking at the top in the state.
Regarding curriculum design, approximately two-thirds (66%) of surveyed parents support expanding the Gifted and Talented program. Among the options for entry grades, kindergarten received the highest support at 64%, followed by third grade.
Debbie Kross, the Joint Secretary of PLACE NYC, pointed out that choosing a school is one of the most challenging issues in parenting for many families. She stated that raising children in a big city is already filled with challenges, and school issues are particularly pressing. The assumption that “parents are willing to transfer schools midway through elementary school” has been proven wrong in practice, as the Gifted program starting from third grade has consistently struggled to attract students. Kross believes that if the city government wishes to stabilize enrollment, it should provide high-quality accelerated programs and retain kindergarten as the starting point for Gifted and Talented classes.
Mayor Mamdani had previously advocated for gradually phasing out the Gifted and Talented program at the kindergarten level during his campaign last year. In response, a spokesperson for the NYC public school system stated that districts will continue engaging in dialogue with the community over the next year to ensure students receive challenging education tailored to each district’s needs. The spokesperson highlighted that the application period for the 2026-27 kindergarten curriculum has ended, and parents should not expect any changes in this year’s process. Any policy adjustments will be communicated separately.
The survey also revealed that around 10% of surveyed parents were against establishing independent Gifted and Talented programs. Some opinions suggested that it is difficult to accurately assess learning abilities at the preschool level. There are differing views in the educational field, with some experts stating that moderate tracking and challenges help meet different learning needs, while others advocate for implementing such programs when students’ age and social skills are more mature.