New York City Public Schools Releases Class Size Reduction Plan

NEW YORK - Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Chancellor Kamar Samuels last night released the New York City Public Schools Class Size Reduction Plan (CSRP), the most concrete step towards meeting state-mandated class size reductions to date, backed by state and union partners, and demonstrating a commitment to meeting class size goals in earnest. To support implementation of the plan, the Mamdani Administration has added an additional $1.5 billion to the capital plan, a transformational commitment that underpins this effort. An additional $244 million will be allocated to schools in Fiscal Year 2027 to hire additional teachers and bring more high-quality educators into smaller classrooms.

NEW YORK - Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Chancellor Kamar Samuels last night released the New York City Public Schools Class Size Reduction Plan (CSRP), the most concrete step towards meeting state-mandated class size reductions to date, backed by state and union partners, and demonstrating a commitment to meeting class size goals in earnest. To support implementation of the plan, the Mamdani Administration has added an additional $1.5 billion to the capital plan, a transformational commitment that underpins this effort. An additional $244 million will be allocated to schools in Fiscal Year 2027 to hire additional teachers and bring more high-quality educators into smaller classrooms.

Under Chancellor Samuels' leadership, NYCPS has fundamentally restructured how the system approaches space planning to increase compliance with the law, for the first time blending capital and non-capital strategies to more efficiently use existing buildings and drive compliance. In partnership with the School Construction Authority (SCA), NYCPS has conducted an intensive evaluation of space needs across the system and created pathways to compliance for all schools in NYC that had space needs.

"Delivering smaller class sizes this fall - something every student and teacher deserves - will require real investment, real partnership and real planning," said Mayor Mamdani. "That means building the classrooms we need, hiring the teachers our schools deserve, engaging families and educators every step of the way, and pursuing every available path to compliance. For too long, City Hall treated class size as a problem to postpone rather than a promise to keep. That ends now. Last night, our administration released the most comprehensive class size plan New York City has ever put forward. We are meeting this moment with the urgency it demands, and we look forward to working alongside school communities across the city to finally deliver the smaller class sizes our children deserve."

"When I became Chancellor, I set a clear goal: create schools that are safe, academically rigorous, and truly integrated," said Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels. "Bringing our classrooms into compliance with the class size law is fundamental to that vision, and I am deeply proud of the dedication, hard work, and partnership that have brought us to this moment. This reduction plan represents a major milestone for my administration and is a testament to our partnerships with City Hall, the State, and our Unions. Every child deserves access to a high-quality education and today's announcement is a meaningful step toward delivering on that promise."

Meaningful community engagement remains central to this administration and ensuring the successful implementation of smaller, academically rigorous classrooms. That's why NYCPS is developing a class size plan that reflects both educational priorities and community input.

Public hearings will begin on June 25 and conclude on July 28, with feedback gathered during the hearings and through email submissions carefully reviewed and analyzed to inform implementation. Families are also encouraged to remain engaged through ongoing public forums, including monthly Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) meetings and their local Community Education Council (CEC).

Showcasing their shared commitment to smaller classes for our students, both houses of the NYS legislature passed amendments to the law to extend the timeline for implementation of the class size plan by two years. Through ongoing collaboration, community engagement, and a focus on strategic solutions, NYCPS is advancing toward 100% class size compliance, ensuring all students receive the individualized attention and learning environments they deserve.

The FY27 Plan allows additional teachers to be hired this year, in line with the updated timeline for implementation. Teacher funding is aligned to both the capital approach and the law, with this year benchmarked at 70% in keeping with the new implementation timeline.

To ensure equitable resource distribution, NYCPS utilized on-the-ground survey feedback to direct funding and teachers first by economic need - consistent with the law's mandate to prioritize schools serving students with high economic needs - and then by available space. This ensures schools that need it most are getting the support they need.

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Contact Chancellor's Press Office: [email protected]