Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters District 2 Community Education Council January 20, 2015 HOW DOE’S CAPITAL PLAN WILL LEAD TO WORSE OVERCROWDING & LARGER CLASSES IN D2

Capital plan has only 1/3 of seats in D2 just to address future enrollment K-8 – nothing to alleviate current overcrowding *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

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 needed just to address projected K-8 Enrollment increases *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 citywide *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”

D2 building utilization compared to citywide average *Calculated by dividing building enrollment by the target capacity Source: DOE Blue Book

16 ES and MS buildings above 100% in D2 1,490 seats needed to reduce building utilization to 100% 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

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

Reducing class size #1 priority of parents citywide and D2 Data Source: 2014 NYC School Survey Results

Class size trends this fall This fall, class sizes overall increased an average.1 student per class citywide, according to the DOE. In K-3, class sizes decreased slightly citywide 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 grades, average dropped slightly from 26.8 to 26.7 & wd take 30 years to reach C4E goals 23 students per class. In HS, average increased from 26.7 to 26.8 students per class.

Class sizes in D2 have increased in grades K-3 by 12.7% since 2007 Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports , 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

D2’s class sizes in grades 4-8 have increased by 4.6% since 2009 Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports , 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

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 D2 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! Will you help us by urging your Councilmembers to sign a letter for an expanded capital plan?

What can you do? Urge Chancellor and your City Councilmembers to expand capital plan. City Council votes on capital plan every June; This year they should refuse to do approve the capital plan until it is significantly approved. Will you help us urge them to do so?

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