Our critique of DOE’s latest submitted class size “plan” — which 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 the mandated benchmarks of 60% of classes achieving the class size caps can be met 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 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 the Brooklyn Director of Office of Intergovernmental Affairs that did not mention the issue of class size nor offered any no information about 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 any 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 lower 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 if needed to meet UFT contractual class size limits set over 50 years ago, or other statutory requirements.  Why the need to comply with this class size law doesn’t get the same respect is not explained.  Instead, this administration continues to focus on encouraging the fierce competition between schools for students, even when that deprives them of an equitable and quality education.

It is now three years since the class size law was passed, and the DOE continues to drag its feet, lurching from year to year, hoping that they can persuade the UFT, the CSA and the state to grant them permanent exemptions from ever having to lower class size system wide.

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

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 and below,​ along with charts illustrating the data in an Appendix. If you have questions or would like a briefing for your elected official, CEC or Community Board, please let us know.​

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