Class Size Matters Updated May 2015 HOW DOE’S PROPOSED CAPITAL PLAN WILL LEAD TO WORSE OVERCROWDING & LARGER CLASSES IN D6

D6’s building utilization rates are below the citywide average *Calculated by dividing building enrollment by the target capacity Source: DOE Blue Book

11 ES and MS buildings above 100% in D6 983 seats needed to reduce building utilization to 100% Source: DOE Blue Book

These estimates Do NOT include the following: Do not include 4900 seats added last Feb still undetermined as to district and/or grade level. Do not include need to address neighborhood overcrowding; Do not include need to eliminate Kindergarten wait lists; Do not include expanded preK or reduced class size; Do not include need to eliminate trailers; Do not include schools regaining lost cluster rooms and/or space for students with disabilities to receive their mandated services.

TCUs in District 6 Latest DOE TCU report from showed 2 TCUs at P.S. 5 with 0 reported enrollment, 2 TCUs at PS 48 with an enrollment of 100, and 15 TCUs at The Equity Project Charter school (TEP) with a reported enrollment of 487 students; total enrollment of 587 students. These included 4 Kindergarten classes at PS 48 with class sizes of 25 in units/rooms with capacity of 16. At TEP there are 24 classrooms total, 6 classrooms in each grade from 5 th -8 th in units/rooms with a capacity of 28 and combined enrollment of 487 students. According to the May 2015 Capital Plan, 4 TCUs in P.S. 5 and P.S. 48 have been identified for removal, but no capital plan seats in district 6. 8 TCUs with 12 classrooms at PS already removed according to capital plan & 2 more planned to be removed. According to Blue Book, this would push building o 111% (and perhaps more since only report 16 for enrollment in these 12 classrooms)

“Renewal” Schools in D6 94 schools on DOE’s renewal list of struggling schools threatened with closure if not improved. In D8 there are 2 schools; PS 132 Juan Pablo Duarte has class sizes as large as 32 in one 5 th grade class, 28 in 1 st and 4 th grades, and 27 in 2 nd grade. At High School for Health Careers and Sciences there are class sizes as large as 34 in all grade with one class of 33 in Math. DOE claims in Dec online “public comment summary” that its C4E class size reduction plan “will now focus on the 94 schools in the Renewal Program” but don’t see class size mentioned anywhere else.

Manhattan HS Enrollment Projections of 2,862 but NO seats in Capital Plan to address need *Does not include 4,900 seat as yet unsited and undetermined location and/or grade level seats **Estimated Total Added Enrollment= Averaged DOE Enrollment Projections + Housing Starts Estimated Growth

Citywide capital plan has 1/3 seats just to address projected K-8 enrollment increases of more than 84,000 students *Statistical Forecasting does not include D75 students; K-8 Seats in Capital Plan are categorized as Small PS and PS/IS and includes 4,900 seats for class size reduction if Bond issue passes. Source for Housing Starts: NYSCA Projected New Housing Starts , PlanManagementReportsData/Housing/ HousingWebChart.pdf; Projected public school ratio, ojected-Public-School-Ratio/n7ta-pz8k PlanManagementReportsData/Housing/ HousingWebChart.pdf ojected-Public-School-Ratio/n7ta-pz8k *Does not include 4,900 seat as yet unsited and undetermined location and/or grade level seats **Estimated Total Added Enrollment= Averaged DOE Enrollment Projections + Housing Starts Estimated Growth

Citywide capital plan has one tenth of seats needed just to address projected HS enrollment increases of more than 32,000 students *Statistical Forecasting does not include D75 students; HS Seats in Capital Plan are categorized as IS/HS and does not include seats for class size reduction Source for Housing Starts: NYSCA Projected New Housing Starts , ManagementReportsData/Housing/ HousingWebChart.pdf; Projected public school ratio, ted-Public-School-Ratio/n7ta-pz8k ManagementReportsData/Housing/ HousingWebChart.pdf ted-Public-School-Ratio/n7ta-pz8k *Does not include 4,900 seat as yet unsited and undetermined location and/or grade level seats **Estimated Total Added Enrollment= Averaged DOE Enrollment Projections + Housing Starts Estimated Growth

This doesn’t include at least 32,000 seats currently needed to bring down to 100% in districts averaging over 100% *These figures are the difference between capacity & enrollment in the organizational target # in Blue Book Source: DOE “Blue Book”

17 Manhattan High Schools Above 100% 3,181 HS seats needed to reduce building utilization rate to 100% Source: DOE Blue Book

Reducing class size #1 priority of parents citywide and tied for #1 in D6 Data Source: 2014 NYC School Survey Results

Citywide class size trends this fall This fall, citywide class sizes increased an average one tenth of a student per class, according to the DOE. In K-3, our calculations show class sizes decreased slightly from 24.9 to 24.7 but at this rate would take 24 years to reach C4E goals of 20 students per class. In 4-8 th, average dropped slightly from 26.8 to 26.7 & would take 30 years to reach C4E goals of 23 students per class. In HS, average class size increased from 26.7 to 26.8 students – it trend continues, would never reach C4E goals of 25.

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports , 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan Class sizes in D6 in K-3 dipped slightly but have increased by 13.3% since 2007

Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports , 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan Class sizes in D6 in grades 4-8 have decreased to its lowest point since 2008 but are still above C4E target goal

Class sizes city-wide increased in core HS classes this year and up 2.6% since 2007 *DOE’s class size data is unreliable & their methodology for calculating HS averages have changed year to year Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports , 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

Examples of schools in D6 with large class sizes, K-3 Data source: November 2014 DOE Class Size Report

Other ways city has encouraged class size increases In 2010, the DOE eliminated the early grade class size reduction funding for K-3, despite promising to keep it as part of its C4E plan. In 2011, the DOE refused to comply with a side agreement with the UFT to cap class sizes at 28 in grades 1-3, leading to sharp increases in these grades to 30 or more. Co-locations have made overcrowding worse, and taken space that instead could have been used to reduce class size. When principals try to lower class size, particularly in middle or high schools, DOE often sends them more students.

More ways DOE has worked to increase class size in its C4E plan DOE has cut school budgets by 14% since DOE failed to allocate ANY funds specifically towards class size reduction in its targeted or citywide C4E allocations. DOE allows principals to use C4E funds to “Minimize growth of class size,” which is not lowering class size DOE has never aligned its capital plan to smaller classes, as required by state C4E regs. The current “Blue Book” formula would tend to force class sizes higher especially in grades 4-12.

Bill de Blasio promised to reduce class size while running for Mayor During his campaign, Mayor de Blasio promised if elected to abide by the city’s original class size plan approved by the state in The Mayor needs to deliver on his promise and provide what NYC parents want and their children need. He also needs to expand the capital plan to alleviate school overcrowding, end ALL co-locations, and build more schools!

What can you do? Urge Chancellor and your City Councilmembers to expand capital plan and reduce class size. City Council votes on capital plan every June; This year they should refuse to approve the capital plan until it is significantly improved. Will you help us urge them to do so by sending a letter to the Mayor? Please sign up for our newsletter to be kept up to date on this issue.

Comparison of class sizes in Blue book compared to current averages & Contract for excellence goals Grade levels UFT Contract class size limits Target class sizes in "blue book" Current average class sizes C4E class Size goals How many students allowed in 500 Sq ft classroom according to NYC building code Kindergarten st-3rd th-5th th-8th 30 (Title I) 33 (non-Title I) HS (core classes) * * DOE reported HS class sizes unreliable