Expanding Mayor’s Control Over NYC Schools: Governor Hochul Seeks Extension amid Budget Negotiations

In the 2025 budget negotiations, the Governor Kathy Hochulin the particular case of the Big Apple, giving rise to the idea of ​​expanding the mayor’s control over city school government NY, a model that empowers the president of the city to choose the Chancellor of the Schools and the appointment of the majority of the members of the Education Policy Panel (PEP), board that votes on major contracts and proposals in the nation’s largest school district.

This model of municipal government control over public schools will end on June 30 and Hochul pushing to extend it for a longer period. At least four more years.

This scheme, which has been in operation for 20 years, gives powers to the New York city government in terms of administrative control over public schools, which other counties do not have. But it is up to the legislature to extend it every two years.

It was learned that members of the Democratic assembly and senators, in order to expand this school ‘government’ which is unusual in the country, are asking in return that the City, show clearer results in some very complex subjectssuch as reducing class sizes.

For his part, the mayor Eric Adams they praised the preliminary budget agreement in a statement because, among other things, “it continues to preserve the mayor’s responsibility in the school system, as we advocate for support for public school children and families“.

At the national level, the Most public schools are managed by school boards autonomous, and even chancellors or superintendents, go through an election process, they are not elected “by hitchhiking,” as it has worked in the Big Apple for decades.

Although the agreement is on where and how the money will be invested $237 billion from New York’s 2025 budget, Some details are still missing, in terms of education, it is on the table that a figure will be specified for public schools, which has no precedent: $35.9 billion.

The budget agreement would represent an increase of $1.3 billion in funds allocated to public education, compared to the previous fiscal year.

“NYC needs to be more responsible”

Legislative sources from the State Assembly told El Diario that the president of the state announced a general agreement, but that there are still many details. The final budget could see the light of day next week, although it should have been approved on April 1.

“Regarding the almost total control that the mayor of New York City exercises over the school system, There are legislators who are pushing for it to be a separate debate from the budget. Many believe that the municipal director should be more responsible on key issues, such as laws requiring a reduction in class sizes.”spokespeople for the state capitol said.

First, there is a legislative body supported by parent and representative bodies, who is completely opposed to the mayor maintaining total control over public education.

In this sense, the state senator John Liu, who is the chairman of the education committee of the Upper House, told the Gothamist digital publication that “the matter is still being investigated,” but he said that everything must go through more guarantees from the City of accountability. in the so far postponed “case” to reduce the number of students in each classroom.

The challenge: fewer students per class

In 2022, the governor signed a law that requires NYC Department of Education (DOE) a The number of children and adolescents in schools decreased within five yearsthat is, in 2028.

Under the previous rules, classes generally had a limit 30 to 34 students, depending on grade, with 25 students in kindergarten.

Under the new law, classes cannot exceed 20 students from kindergarten to third grade, 23 students between 4th and 8th grade and 25 students in high school. Special activities such as physical education, sports activities and art events are limited to 40 children.

It is considered that The City must increase the teaching force, currently around 77,000 educators, between 10,000 and 12,000 to fully comply with the law.

According to DOE estimates, a significant hiring increase will be required at a time when the number of new teachers entering the workforce is declining.

It is also expected that approx 500 schools that need more classes to meet class size standards. Some schools that only need one or two extra classrooms could move the existing space. But other schools must even 78 additional classrooms.

The data:

• $10 million is included in the fiscal year 2025 budget, to train 20,000 teachers and teaching assistants in best practices for reading instructional practices.