Overcrowding Crisis: Urgent Need for Seats in NYC Schools

1. UnMet need for seats in New 2015-2019 capital planIncluding Class size and overcrowding data for Community School district 18 Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters July 2014

2. School Utilization Rates at critical levels • Citywide, schools have become more overcrowded over last six years. More than 480,000 students citywide are in extremely overcrowded buildings. • Elementary schools avg. building utilization “target” rates at 97.4%; median at 102%. High schools are not far behind at 95.2%. • High ES rates in all boroughs, including D10 and D11 in the Bronx 108% and 105.6%, respectively. • In Queens, D24 (120.6%), D25 (109.7%), D26 (110%), D27 (106.1%), and D30 (107.3%) all extremely overcrowded. • At the MS level, D20 in Brooklyn, D24, and D25 in Queens have building utilization rates over 95%. • Queens high school buildings have avg. utilization rate of 110.7% and Staten Island high school buildings 103.2%. Data source: Blue Book target utilization rates 2012-2013

3. Average Utilization Rates City-Wide 2012-2013 Source: 2012-2013 DOE Blue Book

4. Proposed capital plan vs. needs for seats • Proposed capital plan has (at most) 38,754 seats – and this if Cuomo’s “Smart School” bond act is approved. (806 more seats funded only for design) • Plan admits real need of 49,245 (though doesn’t explain how this figure was derived). • DOE’s consultants project enrollment increases of 60,000-70,000 students by 2021 • At least 30,000 seats needed to alleviate current overcrowding for just those districts that average above 100%. • Conclusion: real need for seats at least 100,000.

5. Proposed capital plan vs. needs for seats part II • These figures do not capture overcrowding at neighborhood level, including schools with K waiting lists, or need to expand pre-K, reduce class size, restore cluster rooms, or provide space for charters as required in new state law. • Does not capture need to replace trailers with capacity of more than 10,890 seats. • Though DOE counts only 7,158 students attending class in TCUs, actual number is far higher & likely over 10,000. • Also, DOE utilization figures underestimate actual overcrowding according to most experts and Chancellor, who has appointed a “Blue Book” taskforce to improve them. • Revised utilization formula should be aligned to smaller classes, dedicated rooms for art, music, special education services, and more.

6. Class sizes have increased for six years in a row • Despite provisions in 2007 state law requiring NYC reduce class sizes, classes in K-3 in 2013-2014 largest since 1998; in grades 4-8 largest since 2002. • K-3 average class size was 24.9 (Gen Ed, inclusion & gifted classes) compared to 20.9 in 2007, increase of 19%. • In grades 4-8, the average class size was 26.8, compared to 25.1 in 2007 –increase of 6.8%. • HS “core” academic classes, class size average 26.7, up slightly since 2007.  (Yet DOE’s measure of HS class sizes is inaccurate and their methodology changes, so estimates cannot be relied upon.) • Averages do NOT tell the whole story – as more than 330,000 students were in classes of 30 or more in 2013-2014. • There were 40,268 kids in K-3 in classes of 30 or more in 2013-2014 – an increase of nearly 14% compared to the year before. • The number of teachers decreased by over 5000 between 2007-2010, according to the Mayor’s Management Report, despite rising enrollment.

10. Class sizes in CSD 18 have increased in grades K-3 by 16.4% since 2007 and are now far above Contracts for Excellence goals Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2013, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

11. CSD 18’s class sizes in grades 4-8 have increased by 3.6% since 2007 and are now above Contracts for Excellence goals Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2013, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

12. Class sizes city-wide have increased in core HS classes as well, by 2.3% since 2007, though the DOE data is unreliable* *DOE’s class size data is unreliable & their methodology for calculating HS averages have changed year to year Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2013, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

13. CSD 18 Schools with large class sizes • At the Kindergarten level, there are three schools in District 18 with with an average class size of 25 or more, according to DOE’s November 2013 report. • In grades 1-3, there are five schools in District 21 with at least one grade level averaging 30 students per class or more. • PS 115 Daniel Mucatel has at least two grade levels in 1-3 with 30 or more students. • In grades 4-8, eight schools have at least one grade level with an average class size of 30 or more.

14. Examples of schools in CSD 18 with large class sizes, K-3

15. At least 30,000 seats currently needed just in districts averaging over 100% *These figures are the difference between capacity & enrollment in the organizational target # in 2012-2013 Blue Book Source: 2012-2013 DOE Blue Book

16. Average Utilization Rates in CSD 18 compared to City-Wide Source: 2012-2013 DOE Blue Book

17. Over-utilized ES buildings in CSD 18 and HS buildings in Brooklyn • Four buildings in CSD 18 are over-utilized, meaning 100% building utilization or higher. The seat need for these buildings is 199. • In Brooklyn, 21 high school buildings are at or over 100% building utilization. The seat need for these buildings is over 9,000. • Please note that the seat need here is higher than in the average building utilization rates for the respective districts because it only takes into account buildings that are over-utilized (100% or higher).

18. 4 CSD 18 ES Buildings above 100% utilization Source: 2012-2013 DOE Blue Book *199 ES seats needed to reduce over-utilized buildings in D18 to 100% utilization

19. 21 Brooklyn HS buildings above 100% Utilization Source: 2012-2013 DOE Blue Book *9,207 seats needed in Brooklyn to reduce building utilization to 100%

20. New Seats in Capital Plan and DOE Enrollment Projections for CSD 18 0 Housing starts estimate 120 new K-8 students in D17 by 2021 but capital plan adds ZERO seats.

21. City-wide Enrollment Projections K-8 vs. New Seats in Capital Plan *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 2012-2021, http://www.nycsca.org/Community/CapitalPlanManagementReportsData/Housing/2012-21HousingWebChart.pdf; Projected public school ratio, https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Education/Projected-Public-School-Ratio/n7ta-pz8k

22. City-wide Enrollment Projections HS vs. New Seats in Capital Plan *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 2012-2021, http://www.nycsca.org/Community/CapitalPlanManagementReportsData/Housing/2012-21HousingWebChart.pdf; Projected public school ratio, https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Education/Projected-Public-School-Ratio/n7ta-pz8k

23. Also Kindergarten Waitlists in many neighborhoods

24. 2014 Kindergarten Wait Lists in CSD 18 • According to DOE, the waitlist for zoned Kindergarten spots in 2014 is smaller citywide than in 2013. • There are no schools in District 18 that have waiting lists for Kindergarten. • There are 1,242 students on these wait lists and the methodology for determining wait lists has yet to be revealed – unclear if same as last year.

25. 7 ES/MS schools in CSD 18 and 1 Brooklyn High School with TCUs • There are seven schools with TCUs in CSD 18. The enrollment for all of these is listed as 0 in the 2012-13 TCU Report. • The schools are PS 135 (2 TCUs), PS 208 (4 TCUs), PS 219 (1 TCU), PS 235 (4 TCUs), PS 268 (1 TCU), PS 272 (3 TCUs), PS 276 (8 TCUs). • Capacity is only given for PS 235 and PS 276 (28 students per classroom), therefore total reported capacity is 336 students. • One high school, East New York Family Academy, has six TCUs with no enrollment reported and thus not reflected in the DOE statistics. It has twelve classrooms and the capacity listed for each classroom is 0.

26. Seats Need for CSD 18 and Brooklyn High Schools • The proposed FY 2015-2019 Capital Plan will add ZERO elementary and middle school seats in District 18. • In District 18, 200 new seats are needed just to reduce the elementary school students in buildings at or over 100% utilization. • Housing starts estimate 120 new students by 2021 who will need seats. • There could be 336 students and likely many more sitting in several schools with trailers in CSD 18. • The Capital Plan will not address at least 650 seats needed in District 18. • In Brooklyn high schools, over 7,000 new seats are needed to address present overcrowding in buildings over 100% utilization. • Yet according to the Capital Plan, no seats are currently expected to be added in Brooklyn high schools.

27. New charter provisions passed in state budget • Any charter co-located in a NYC school building cannot be evicted and has veto powers before they leave the building – even if they are expanding and squeezing out NYC public school students.  • This includes any charter co-location agreed to before 2014 – including the three Success charter schools approved right before Bloomberg left office. • Any new or charter school in NYC adding grade levels must be “provided access to facilities” w/in five months of asking for it. • If they don’t like the space offered by the city, they can appeal to the Commissioner King, who is a former charter school director and has never ruled against a charter school. • NO FISCAL IMPACT statement or analysis accompanying this bill. • In addition, the state will provide all charter schools with per-pupil funding increases, amounting to $500 over the next 3 years and provide them funding for pre-K.

28. Charter space provisions ONLY apply to NYC • Upstate legislators fought off making charters eligible for state facilities funds – which would have been better for NYC. • Yet legislators did not block these onerous provisions for NYC , where we have the most expensive real estate & the most overcrowded schools in the state. • If the DOE doesn’t offer charter schools free space, the city  must pay for a school’s rent in private space or give them an extra 20 percent over their operating aid every year going forward. • After the city spends $40 million per year on charter rent, the state will begin chipping in 60% of additional cost.

29. How many charters will there be entitled to free space? • We have 183 charters in NYC, 119 in co-located space. • 22 new charters are approved to open next year or the year after, all entitled to free space. • 52 additional charter schools left to approve until we reach the cap raised in 2010 – with legislative approval – all entitled to free space. • Any new or existing co-located charter can also be authorized to expand grade levels through HS and will be entitled to free space. • DOE will be paying $5.4 M in annual rent for four years for 3 Success Academy schools that only have 484 students next year – at a cost of $11,000 per student. • This doesn’t count the unknown renovation costs in these 3 schools, also paid for by the city.

30. Blue book data & Utilization formula inaccurate & underestimates actual level of overcrowding • Class sizes in grades 4-12 larger than current averages & far above goals in city’s C4E plan & will likely force class sizes upwards • Doesn’t require full complement of cluster rooms or special needs students to have dedicated spaces for their mandated services • Doesn’t properly account for students now housed in trailers in elementary and middle schools. • Doesn’t account for co-locations which subtract about 10% of total space and eat up classrooms with replicated administrative & cluster rooms. Small schools use space less efficiently • Instructional footprint shrank full size classroom only 500 sq. feet min., risking building code/safety violations at many schools as 20-35 sq feet per student required. • Special ed classrooms defined as only 240-499 sqft, thought State Ed guidelines call for 75 sqft per child with special needs; classrooms this small would allow only 3- 7 students.

31. Comparison of class sizes in Blue book compared to current averages & Contract for excellence goals *DOE reported HS class sizes unreliable

32. Some Recommendations • 38,000 seats in capital plan is too low, esp. given existing overcrowding, projected enrollment, preK expansion, class size reduction, new mandates to provide charter schools with space • Also very low as compared to Mayor’s plan to create or preserve 200,000 affordable housing units. • Council should expand the seats in five year capital plan. • Commission an independent analysis by City Comptroller, IBO or other agency. • Adopt reforms to planning process so that schools are built along with housing in future through mandatory inclusionary zoning, impact fees etc. • Over half of all states and 60% of large cities have impact fees, requiring developers to pay for costs of infrastructure improvements, including schools.