1. School overcrowding and the capital plan Updated with data from Feb
School overcrowding and the capital plan Updated with data from Feb capital plan Leonie Haimson Class Size Matters 2/23/17

2. Fall of 2016 average grades K-3 class sizes fell slightly but still 4 students above class size goals DOE promised to achieve in 2007.

3. Average class size in grades also 4-8 fell very slightly by
Average class size in grades also 4-8 fell very slightly by .1 student per class; almost 4 students above C4E goals.

4. Citywide average HS class sizes declined by
Citywide average HS class sizes declined by .2 students per class; but remain far above C4E goals

5. Latest overcrowding data from “Blue Book” school year Latest overcrowding data from “Blue Book” --42% of NYC school organizations were at or over 100% utilization in ,000 students (62% ) were enrolled in these schools data source: SCA “Blue Book” , utilization & enrollment of school/organizations

6. February 2017 capital plan still underfunded
Funds less than 45,000 seats citywide – about half (54%) necessary to alleviate current overcrowding and accommodate enrollment growth, according to DOE estimates.
Only 29% of seats compared to DOE’s analysis of need have actual sites and are in process of scope and design.
But we estimate that the actual need for seats is much greater than DOE projects.

10. DOE claims no more HS seats needed in Manhattan, Bronx or Brooklyn

11. Yet our calculations suggest that the actual unfunded need is much higher….
Even using DOE’s own formula and data, their estimates of need less than those taking into account rapid development & enrollment increases in many districts
Take District 2, with 3150 seats funded; DOE claims 97% of the need is funded, with unmet need only 82 seats.
Yet housing starts data used to project enrollment, multiplied by the City Planning ratio, yields more than 7,300 additional K-8 seats needed in D2 over next five years.
Data source:

12. More reasons actual need is much higher than DOE projects
DOE school capacity formula is based on average class sizes larger than currently exist in NYC schools (28 students per class in 4-8th grades; 30 in HS)
Their enrollment projections have proven faulty many times.
City Planning ratio from housing starts is borough-based rather than neighborhood-based.
And the City Planning ratio relies on Census data more than 16 years old.
Data source:

13. School siting dysfunctional --There are districts where schools have been funded for more than ten years without a single school sited or built ; --School Construction Authority only has one person on staff per borough looking for sites for schools; ---The SCA never uses eminent domain to acquire sites unless the property has recently been on the market; They never “cold call” meaning inquire when they’ve identified good sites before they’re for sale; --- There have been more than 4,000 seats funded for 3 years in the “class size reduction” category with only three small projects identified

14. We need a new planning process for schools -- So that schools are built efficiently along with new housing and not lagging the process by years afterwards In most large states and districts, developers have to pay an “impact fee” to help fund new infrastructure including schools, but not in NYC In NYC, a new residential development has to increase overcrowding by over 5% to even consider the need for a new school – even in neighborhoods where the schools are ALREADY very overcrowded.

15. What is being done about this
What is being done about this? --Public Advocate Tish James, 22 Council Members, Class Size Matters and parent leaders pointed out many of the problems with school planning and siting in a letter we sent the Chancellor in June Last week, Speaker Mark-Viverito announced that Council would form an internal working group to come up with proposals to reform the process. --On Tuesday, Feb. 28 City Council will hold hearings to hear from public on how the process of school planning and siting should be improved.

16. What can you do. --Attend Feb
What can you do? --Attend Feb. 28 City Council joint hearings of Finance and Education Committees ---Come and testify with your comments and ideas Or just come at 10:00 AM to show your support; public testimony will begin about 1 PM If you can’t attend, Council staff the day before with your testimony to ---Or us at with your comments so we can put them into our written testimony ---Sign up for our newsletter at for updates on the latest developments on class size/overcrowding