Preliminary budget prioritizes class size mandate compliance
Major Education Priorities Outlined
Mayor Mamdani’s preliminary budget allocates $543 million in new city spending for fiscal year 2027 to reduce class sizes and meet state mandate requirements. The budget also provides continued stable funding for the Summer Rising program, the popular all-day academic and enrichment initiative that emerged from federal pandemic relief funding and has consistently enjoyed broad public and mayoral support.
The state class size mandate requires capping classes at 20 students in elementary school and 25 in high school, with 80 percent of classes falling below those caps by next school year. All classes must comply by school year 2027-28. Meeting these requirements demands significant new investment as the city education department works to hire additional teachers and find classroom space across the school system.
Challenge of Teacher Recruitment
Officials have stated that meeting the mandate will require hiring approximately 6,000 additional teachers at a cost exceeding $600 million annually. The education department has struggled to fully comply with previous mandates and has issued thousands of exemptions allowing schools to exceed class size limits. Meeting the new mandate will only get more challenging as crowded schools must decide between capping student enrollment, finding new space, or pursuing exemptions from the state.
The proposed funding suggests city officials anticipate this challenge and have determined that significant investment will be necessary to maintain the city’s role as the nation’s largest public school system. The education department has issued public warnings that meeting the mandate will create difficult tradeoffs at crowded schools.
Summer Rising Receives Multi-Year Commitment
The preliminary budget includes $106 million for Summer Rising programming this summer and allocates funding to sustain the program across subsequent fiscal years. This marks a significant shift in stability for a program previously funded through one-year appropriations with recurring uncertainty about future support.
Summer Rising emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic as a comprehensive summer program combining academics with enrichment activities. The program became enormously popular with students, families, and educators. Research suggests it has helped mitigate summer learning loss while providing childcare and nutrition support to families during summer months. The multi-year funding commitment represents mayoral recognition of the program’s success and value.
Preschool Special Education Restored
The budget renews $70 million in funding for preschool special education services, evaluations, and staffing. However, advocates noted that despite this funding, many preschool students with disabilities do not receive all the support to which they are legally entitled. The funding commitment acknowledges both the importance of early intervention services and the inadequacy of current resource levels.
Programs Left Out of Budget
Several education programs that were at least partially funded through the prior budget did not receive funding in the preliminary budget. These omissions included $6 million for restorative justice programs, an approach focusing on conflict resolution and addressing root causes of discipline rather than punitive measures. The budget also excluded $5 million for intensive mental health support services at dozens of Bronx and Brooklyn schools.
Learning to Work, a $31 million effort providing internships, social workers, and guidance counselors for students at risk of dropping out, was not included. A $12 million wraparound program for students with disabilities experiencing sensory issues interfering with school performance was also excluded. Whether these programs are restored will depend on decisions made during the budget negotiation process with the City Council.
Next Steps in Budget Process
The education department will need to provide detailed plans explaining how the class size funding will be deployed. Budget negotiations with the City Council will determine whether programs that were not included in the preliminary budget receive funding in the final adopted budget. Learn more from NYC Department of Education, Chalkbeat education reporting, and Citizens Budget Commission analysis.
