We ask Governor Hochul to veto the unfunded class size bill. NYC parents want successful programs that help students and families, not controversial class size mandates that will sacrifice the education, safety and well-being of our kids.

The DOE estimates it will cost more than $500M a year to comply with the mandates for grades K-5 alone. This expense will force cuts to special-education services, academic tutoring, mental-health supports, school-safety agents, after school activities, sports, and popular programs like 3K and Summer Rising. It will also detract resources from the Mayor’s new initiatives including the dyslexia screening and evidence-based reading programs.  

NYC schools lost 90K students in the past two years and DOE projects that we will lose another 30K this coming year. Average class sizes have been getting smaller because students are leaving our schools. 

Mandating class size caps will force the DOE to cut seats in programs that NYC families want: popular neighborhood schools, gifted and talented (G&T) programs, AP courses, Specialized High Schools (SHSAT) and other in-demand middle and high schools. 

Higher class sizes are often in schools with space constraints. Putting classroom caps will force students onto waitlists, into trailers or rezoned away from neighborhood schools and bused to under-enrolled schools with capacity. We must build more schools in these areas before we impose class caps.

Tell Governor Hochul to veto this classroom mandate.