DOE’s latest submitted class size “plan” is no plan at all

July 29, 2025

Yesterday, we sent our detailed critique to Education Commissioner Rosa of the DOE’s submitted class size plan for the 2025-2026 school year. As in earlier “plans”, it lacks the critical information required by law, including specific data about where additional staff and space will be created so that 60% of classes can achieve the required caps next year, and 80%-100% in years four and five.

In addition, the process for public comment and the DOE response to that feedback has been seriously flawed. Though the law requires that “Notice of the public process shall be … transmitted via email to school administrators, parent and teacher organizations, and elected officials,” when I FOILed for these emails, the DOE could only find two: one sent to principals, and another sent to unnamed public officials from the Brooklyn Director of Office of Intergovernmental Affairs that did not mention the issue of class size nor offered any information about the dates or times of these hearings. There were no emails sent to parents or teachers, and none that actually linked to the draft class size plan.

The most critical flaw of DOE’s latest submission is how it provides no specific information about actual steps that have been taken or will be in the future to allow the 500 or more schools without the space for smaller classes at their current enrollment from ever being able to reduce class size to the levels required by law. This would require the city to build enough new space and allow overcrowded schools to lessen their current enrollment, neither of which the DOE has any plans to do. The officials in charge obdurately refuse to equalize enrollments between nearby schools, even when the receiving school would benefit from additional students and a more adequate budget as a result.

Yet DOE admits they already cap enrollment at schools when needed to meet UFT contractual class size limits set over 50 years ago, or other statutory requirements. Why the class size law doesn’t get the same respect is not explained. Instead, this administration continues to focus on encouraging  fierce competition between schools for students, even when that deprives students themselves of an equitable and quality education.

It is now three years since the class size law was passed, and officials continue to drag their feet from coming up with a real plan, hoping that they can persuade the UFT, the CSA and the state to grant them a permanent exemption from ever having to lower class size system wide.

We are urging Commissioner Rosa to demand that DOE revise its submission and develop a real plan before it is too late, or else half of all NYC students will likely be doomed to classes far larger than those required by law and far larger than is their right under the state constitution,

All this is further complicated by the latest data, showing that the rate of families with small children leaving NYC has dramatically slowed, and there is a building boom going on citywide that does not take into account the need to create schools along with new housing.

Other serious deficiencies with the DOE’s submission are detailed here, along with charts  in an Appendix. If you have questions or would like a briefing for your elected official, CEC, or Community Board, please let us know.

Thanks,

Leonie Haimson
Executive Director
Class Size Matters
124 Waverly Pl.
New York, NY 10011
phone: 917-435-9329
leonie@classsizematters.org
www.classsizematters.org
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