Education receives $543 million for mandate fulfillment
Major Education Investments Address State Mandates and Popular Programs
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. This substantial investment reflects the administration’s determination to comply with the state class size mandate while maintaining popular summer programming that has become a critical component of the city’s education and childcare infrastructure.
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 with the mandate by school year 2027-28. Meeting these requirements demands significant new investment as the city education department works to hire additional teachers and locate classroom space across the school system.
Implementation Challenges and 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 New York 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 Stable, 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 to working families needing summer childcare.
Preschool Special Education Renewed
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. Maria Odom, executive director of nonprofit Advocates for Children, stated: “As the City moves forward with its plans for universal child care, it must ensure that young children with disabilities are not left waiting for the support they need and have a right to receive.”
The funding commitment acknowledges both the importance of early intervention services and the inadequacy of current resource levels. The administration also renewed nearly $50 million in annual funding for new District 75 classes supporting students with more complex disabilities.
Programs Not Included in Budget
Several education programs that received funding in previous budgets 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. Budget negotiations with the City Council will determine whether these programs are restored in the final budget.
Next Steps in Budget Process
The education department will need to provide detailed plans explaining how the class size funding will be deployed across the school system. 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. For more information, see NYC Department of Education, Chalkbeat, and Citizens Budget Commission analysis.
