class size matters kindergarten proposal briefing city council 5.24.12

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5/24/12

Briefing Presentation by Class Size Mattersto New York City CouncilMay 24, 2012

Potential impact ofProposed Mandatory

Kindergarten


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General Implications ofProposal

Mandatory Kindergarten would lead to anestimated addition of 3,000-6,000 students in theNYC public schools;

When DOE closed ACS daycare centers in 2010,3,000 more Kindergarten students entered thesystem;

IBO cites this development as a major

contribution to large increases in Kindergartenclass sizes;

Share of Kindergarten students in classes overthe contractual limit of 25 increased from 6.6% to

7.9%, mainly driven by schools in areas where


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Implications for ExistingPre-K Seats

Space crunch induced by influx of additionalKindergarten students could produce anincreased loss of Pre-K seats

This occurs during a time of rising demand forPre-K: 28,815 applications in 2011 v. 25,487 in2010

In 2011, only 68% applicants were admitted to

Pre-K, a drop from 72%; over 9,000 childrenrejected

This year the number of Pre-K seats in DOEbuildings dropped to lowest level since 2006


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Pre-K Seats in DOEBuildings, 2006-2011


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Kindergarten SeatsCurrently Inadequate

Even without mandatory Kindergarten, there arenot enough seats for zoned Kindergartenstudents

This has led to Kindergarten waitlists in allboroughs & in nearly one fifth of elementaryschools

Additionally, class sizes in K & early grades are

highest in 13 years, though lower class size oneof few reforms proven to narrow achievementgap and lead to more learning for all students

This is an ongoing crisis which cannot be ignored


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Wait lists worse in 3 out of5 boroughs this year


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More than 2400 Kindergartenstudents on wait lists in April for

zoned schools


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Kindergarten Wait Lists

Though some children will drop off wait lists overtime, numbers show extreme pressures onschools to sacrifice cluster rooms and furtherincrease class size not just in K, but in all

grades as students move upwards

Furthermore, substantial Kindergarten wait listsexist in some districts with no funded seats inCapital Plan

Especially large wait lists in District 12 in Bronxand District 21 in Brooklyn where there are NOfunded seats in Capital plan


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Currently, K enrollment is still growing(gened & CTT)


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K-3 total enrollment also growing(gened + CTT)


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K-3 Class Sizes Largest in13 years


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42% of Kindergarteners inclasses of 25 or more

% f Ki d t t d t i


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% of Kindergarten students inclasses of 25 or more (by

Borough)


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Background on CapitalPlan Promises

When Mayor Bloomberg introduced his firstCapital Plan in 2005, he said it would achieve thefollowing goals:

Alleviate overcrowding

Provide space for classes of 20 or less in grades K-3in all schools

Eliminate the need for trailers

NONE of these goals have been achieved, andovercrowding in elementary schools and k-3 classsizes now WORSE than in 2005


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Elementary Schools MoreOvercrowded than in 2006

According to the historic Formula in the Blue Bookmore elementary school buildings are overcrowded &50,000 more ES students are in overcrowded buildingsthan in 2006.

Utilization Rate

(Historic) 2006-2007 2010-2011

# buildings 100%or over 257 306

# students 118156 167673

% students 24% 33%

% of buildings 28% 32%


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According to target formula, 53% ofall elementary school students are in

overcrowded buildings


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Actual need for new seats

DOE hasexplicitly

admitted


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capital plan after Nov.

2010


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Spending on capacity back loadedto FY 14


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Recommendations

Though proposal to make Kindergartenmandatory is laudable, this would add thousandsof students to an already overcrowded andunderfunded system, and would undercut

expected gains;

CSM recommends that funding for schoolcapacity projects be accelerated and moved fromFY 14 to next year;

Comptrollers office points out that this wouldadd no costs to taxpayers, but would produce15K additional jobs, potentially save millions inthe long term by taking advantage of low interestrates and construction costs, and create more


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Public school parents calling for moreschool construction in 1950s

on steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall

class size matters kindergarten proposal briefing city council 5.24.12

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