New York City Comptroller Brad Lander stated that public schools in the future four years will have to implement smaller class sizes in accordance with state regulations, but there is still a funding gap of about $20 billion.
According to education website Chalkbeat, the New York City Department of Education submitted a plan to reduce class sizes to the state government in November last year, which must be approved by the state or city comptroller under New York State Education Law. However, on June 20th, Lander sent a letter to Governor Hochu and state legislative leaders, stating that he could not approve the plan because the city government’s education budget and major construction budget did not provide sufficient funding for implementing smaller class sizes.
Lander estimated that in the 2028 fiscal year, New York City would need to hire over 14,000 new teachers to fully implement smaller class sizes, requiring $15 billion to $16.5 billion in funding. On average, $4 billion would be needed each year. However, the city’s teacher recruitment plan for the 2026 fiscal year is expected to have a shortfall of $374 million to $422 million, and in 2027, it could lack $920.7 million to $1.02 billion in funding.
In addition to hiring teachers, about 500 schools across the city do not have enough classrooms to implement smaller class sizes. By the 2028 fiscal year, there is a need to increase classroom construction by 20% annually. Lander pointed out that the School Construction Authority (NYCSCA) estimated that building new school buildings would require $22.3 billion to $26.8 billion in funding, but currently there is only $4.13 billion available. With the state’s new fiscal year budget requiring the city to allocate an additional $2 billion, the gap to reach the minimum needed $22.3 billion is still very wide. In other words, there is still approximately $20 billion in funding needed for both teacher hiring and school construction.
Lander urged the Department of Education to prioritize budget allocations for hiring teachers and building schools in order to move the class size reduction plan forward and implement smaller class sizes. Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) in New York City, also stated in a press release that the city government must implement smaller class sizes in accordance with New York State law and provide the necessary funding. Otherwise, they would be at odds with parents and teachers across the city, and in violation of state law.
The Department of Education stated that implementing smaller class sizes would only require hiring 10,000 to 12,000 new teachers. Spokesperson Nathaniel Styer responded through a statement, saying that the city government would comply with state regulations and is working with the union to promote the implementation of smaller class sizes. The city government appreciates the comptroller’s reminder.