Leonie Haimson , Class Size Matters July 2014

1. UnMet need for seats in New 2015-2019 capital planIncluding class size and overcrowding data for Community School district 31 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 31 have increased in grades K-3 by 21.3% since 2008 and are now well above C4E goals Data sources: DOE Class Size Reports 2006-2013, 2008 DOE Contracts for Excellence Approved Plan

11. CSD 31’s class sizes in grades 4-8 have increased by 6.7% since 2008 and are very far above C4E 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 31 Schools with large class sizes • At the Kindergarten level, there are 18 schools in CSD 31 with with an average class size of 25, according to DOE’s November 2013 report. • In grades 1-3, there are 15 schools in CSD 31 with at least one grade level averaging 30 students per class or more. • In grades 4-8, 32 schools have at least one grade level with an average class size of 30 or more.

14. Examples of schools in CSD 31 with large class sizes, K-3

15. School Utilization Rates at critical levels • Citywide, elementary schools avg. building utilization rates are at 97.4%; the median utilization rate is at 102%, high schools are not far behind at 95.2%. • In eleven districts, elementary school average above 100%; 20 districts average above 90%. • High schools in Queens (110.7%) and Staten Island (103.2%) average above 100%. • At the MS level, D20 in Brooklyn, D24, and D25 in Queens have building utilization rates over 95%. • There are more than 30,000 seats just to bring those districts to 100% utilization. Data source: Blue Book target utilization rates 2012-2013

16. # of Seats currently needed to bring buildings to 100% or less *These figures are the difference between capacity & enrollment in the organizational target # in 2012-2013 Blue Book Source: 2012-2013 DOE Blue Book

17. Average Utilization Rates in CSD 31 compared to City-Wide 2012-2013D31ES building utilization rate at 108.1%, above citywide average Source: 2012-2013 DOE Blue Book 3,598 ES Seats and 1,806 HS Seats needed to reach 100% building utilization

18. Over-utilized ES and MS buildings in CSD 31 and Staten Island HS • There are 35 buildings that host elementary school students in CSD 31 that are above 100% utilization. The seat need for these schools is more than 3,598 students. • At 4 over-utilized Staten Island HS buildings, there is a seat need for more than 1,801 students. • Please note that the seat need here is higher because it takes into account all buildings that are over-utilized (100% or more) rather than the need averaged across the district.

19. 35 ES Buildings are over-utilized in CSD 31 (percentages) *3,598 ES seats needed to reach 100% building utilization

20. 4 Staten Island High School Buildings are over-utilized *1,806 HS seats needed to reach 100% building utilization

21. New Seats in Capital Plan and DOE Enrollment Projections for CSD 31 ~2,240 to 2,380 new students by 2021 according to enrollment projections but only 912 seats are being added.

22. 2014 Kindergarten Wait Lists in CSD 31 • According to DOE, the wait list for zoned Kindergarten spots in 2014 is smaller citywide than in 2013, with 1,242 zoned students on wait lists as of April 21, 2014. • 19 of 32 school districts currently have at least one school with a waiting list. • 63 schools have zoned wait lists: 20 in Brooklyn, 17 in Queens, 11 in Manhattan, 11 in The Bronx, and 4 in Staten Island. • DOE less transparent than ever: the number of zoned students for particular schools if less than 10 is not revealed – and methodology for creating wait lists unexplained. • Over 7,000 families got none of their choices but unclear how many were put on wait list for their zoned school. • There were four schools in District 31 with waiting lists: P.S. 16 John J. Driscoll (34 students), P.S. 029 Bardwell (18 students), P.S. 74 Future Leaders Elementary School (23), and P.S. 020 Port Richmond (1-9 students). • A minimum of 76 zoned students were on wait lists in Staten Island.

23. Number of students in CSD 31 trailers • In CSD 31, according to the 2012-2013 TCU Report, there are 9 TCUs at 4 schools: PS 38 (1 TCU, no enrollment listed), PS 19 (2 TCUs, 115 students), PS 25 (2 TCUs, no enrollment or capacity listed listed), and PS 37 (2 TCUs, no enrollment or capacity listed). • There are at least 115 students enrolled in these TCUs that need to be replaced.

24. Number of students in Staten Island HS trailers • At the high school level, there are at least 4 TCUs at two Staten Island high schools: Curtis High School (2 TCUs, 44 students) and Port Richmond High School (2 TCUs, no enrollment listed). • There are 8 classrooms in these 4 TCUs and the total capacity is 180 across the 2 HS. None of these students are included in the total that DOE reports attend classes in TCUs.

25. New seats need for CSD 31 • Capital Plan allocates just 912 seats for FY 2015-2019 for CSD 31. • To reduce overcrowding, and bring building utilization to 100% at the elementary school and middle school levels, nearly 3,600 seats are needed. • If the DOE’s enrollment projections are accurate, at least 2,240 seats are needed in the district to meet the enrollment projections for the next decade (2011-2021). • To remove elementary and middle school students from trailers, another 115 seats are needed to eliminate the need for trailers in elementary and middle schools across CSD 31. • Therefore, a minimum of almost 6,000 elementary and middle school seats are needed beyond what the FY 2015-2019 Capital Plan has for CSD 31.

26. Unmet need critical in Staten Island high schools • DOE allocated 300 seats it in its FY 2015-2019 Capital Plan for Staten Island High Schools. • More than 1,800 seats in Staten Island HS are needed to reduce present overcrowding and bring building utilization to 100%. • These figures underestimate actual level of overcrowding, according to most principals. • About 180 seats needed to remove Staten Island high school students from schools with trailers (from capacity figures). • There are 2,000 high school seats that the new capital plan does not address.

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.