Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey. Hey. The preliminary plan includes an additional $2.6 6 billion for the fiscal 2027 budget since the November plan through additional funding for early childhood education programming, district 75 classes, and summer rising. However, this increase also contains large amounts of mandated spending areas where the city is covering what the state has not. This plan recognizes the true cost of due process cases, allowing for more oversight and transparency, which we have been fighting for as a council for years. The plan also includes the full cost for class- size implementation mandated by state law. But along with this large funding increase comes difficult choices. While the council applauds the administration's focus on budget transparency and providing funding for crucial programming for schools, the mayor's fiscal 2027 budget is balanced by relying on tapping into the rainy day fund this year and raising property taxes on hardworking New Yorkers next year. While we are not all rallying to address this affordability crisis, well, sorry. While we are all rallying to address this affordability crisis, we believe that there is more that the city can do to address this issue with the DOE's growing budget and to avoid a budget crisis to be sure it's not balanced on the backs of hardworking New Yorkers. Notably, the city is the only school district in the state that pays rental assistance to charter schools located in private facilities and is the only district dealing with such high rates of due process cases. Both of these concerns point to issues with our public school system not meeting the need of all students in in the city. The high number and cost of due process cases points to a broken special education system where students can afford it have to sue to receive their mandated services and high quality special education at a private school. While this plan begins to make investments to help our public school students with disabilities, this is only one small step to reconcile for years of disinvestment. In fiscal 2027, the DOE has budgeted $3.7 billion to charter schools, including both tuition costs and leases. Of this funding, 54% comes from city tax dollars, while only 45% is covered by the state. It is unclear how the city has worked with the state for additional support for charter schools. Beyond charter schools, we believe that the city should leverage its relationship with the state to ensure a state budget that increases foundation aid funding to New York City public schools. The state budget proposals from the assembly and senate include additional funding for English language learners, students experiencing homelessness, and students living in foster care. Additionally, the assembly proposes funding for class size and further funding for 3K. These proposals could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars for our most vulnerable students. The city and the DOE should also do more to show support for crucial state legislation for school bus contracts. The DOE recently extended the school bus contracts for another three years. This has been a recurring issue. Old contracts from the 70s do not work for the 21st century, especially for students with disabilities and students in temporary housing who rely on this transportation. In order to fix it, the state must pass legislation that includes labor protections for school bus drivers in any new contracts. If this legislation is not passed this year, it will make it very difficult to negotiate new contracts before the current extension runs out. The city spends $15 billion more on education than 10 years ago, but we continue to face high chronic absenteeism and inequities in test scores and graduation rates. The city funds a good deal of programming that it does not have concrete assessments for. Without these assessments and evaluations, how do we know where these billions of dollars really make an impact on our students? The DOE's budget relies on contracting which can lead to ballooning costs instead of efficiencies methods. This process is attached to mayoral control which is currently being negotiated in the state budget. With addition with additional oversightes on contracts, the city may be able to decrease contracting costs and ensure that we are only funding what is effective for our students. Another critical aspect of the DOE's budget is the early childhood education system. Over the last dec dec decade, Dwee has focused more and more resources on early childhood education. Dway relies on community-based organizations and other contracted care to provide these services to our youngest New Yorkers. However, the DOE and the administration have not publicly stated meaningful targets or how success will be measured. With 700 million added for early childhood education programming in fiscal 2027, it is critical that the council understand how the DOE is ensuring that this funding is spent appropriately in an effort to stabilize the system while expanding the number of seats for two-year-olds. It is the council's responsibility to ensure that the city's budget is fair, transparent, and accountable to all New Yorkers. It is essential that the budget we adopt this year is also reflective of the priorities and interests of the council and of the people that we represent. This hearing is a vital part of this process and I expect that DOE will be responded to the the questions and concerns of council members. I look forward to active engagement with the administration over the next few months to ensure the fiscal 2027 adopted budget meets the goals the council has set out. I want to acknowledge my colleagues on the committee who are present. Council member Schulman, Delar Rosa, Wong, Joang, Joseph Lee, and Hanks. I would also like to thank Jenna Klaus, my chief of staff, Theo Salter, my legislative and budget director, Andrew Lane Lawless and Grace Amato, the committee's financial analysts, Alejandro Carvajal, the committee's council, Chloe Rivera and Katie Salana, the committee's policy analysts. I would like to remind everyone from the public who wishes to testify in person that you must fill out an appearance card, which is located on the desk of the sergeant-at-arms in the back of the room. Please fill out the slip even if you have already registered to testify in advance. Public testimony will begin after both the Department of Education and the School Construction Authority have testified. When you are called, please limit your testimony to two minutes, whether you are testifying in person. I'm also going to ask my colleagues to limit their questions and comments to five minutes. I will now administer the oath to anyone testifying from the DOE. Please raise your right hand. And if you plan to testify later, please raise your right hand. Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your testimony before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions? Thank you. As a reminder to all of our witnesses, please state your name prior to your testimony for the record. Okay. Thank you. You may begin your testimony. Kamar Samuels. Good morning and thank you for inviting me to testify on the fiscal year 2027 preliminary budget. Thank you speaker Menin, Education Chair Denowitz and members of the committee on education and early childhood education chair Gutierrez and members of the subcommittee on early childhood education. I am the New York City public schools chancellor Kamari Samuels and I'm joined by my first deputy chancellor Daniel Genta, deputy chancellor of family partnership and community support Flavia Puo Padmo. Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood Simone Hawkins, Deputy Chancellor of Inclusive and Accessible Learning, Christina FOD, Deputy Chancellor of School Operations, Kevin Moran, and Chief Financial Officer Serita Scott. I'm honored to serve in the Mamani administration and to lead the nation's largest school district. I look forward to discussing the fiscal year 2027 preliminary budget as it relates to our city's students, staff, and families. For me, serving in this role is the culmination of more than 20 years of devot of 20 years devoted to our schools. I started as a New York City teaching fellow in the Bronx where I realized that education would become my life's work and later served as a principal, deputy superintendent, and superintendent. I'm also a proud NYCPS parent. These experiences have shaped my perspective profoundly. But as I refined my as I refined my vision for our schools, the greatest influences have been the conversations I've had with our NYCPS community. Since taking this role, I've been to every borrow and soon every superintendency visiting our schools. And by this point, I've I've se I've I've seen 36 and counting. I've seen New York City reads themselves in action and students artistic and creative talents on full display. I've watched our youngest learners develop their literacy skills and our oldest learners prepare for college and careers. Whether that's by building robots or checking someone's vital signs, using aircraft simulators, or broadcasting a news program, each of these school visits have on each of these school visits, I've met with families, elected officials, staff, and community members, listening to their concerns, their ideas, and their hopes. I'm also more than halfway through a 10-Ttop community conversations tour where I've gathered in gathered insightful feedback and a wide range of perspectives from students, families, staff, and community members across every borrow. Tonight, that tour continues in Manhattan. Tomorrow evening, we'll be in Brooklyn. And finally, earlier this month, I announced a comprehensive re and schools at the center of our work. My new cabinet, an experienced diverse group of public servants, is here with me today. Together, these conversations and perspectives have informed my vision for our school system that every school should be safe, academically rigorous, and truly integrated. And as I've demonstrated in my initial months as chancellor, this work can only be done by listening to and partnering with families and communities. My first priority is safety. We know that students cannot learn if they do not feel physically safe and emotionally safe. So we are taking a comprehensive approach to student well-being. With our cell phone policy, we are prioritizing students mental health and creating the distraction-free classrooms. And our work to leverage technology responsibly continues with our foundational AI guidance, which will be released tomorrow and will include opportunities for community input. With our summarizing program, we are keeping our students safe, engaged, and learning year round. We we recently launched applications and are gearing up for a fantastic summer. And with Project Open Arms, we are embracing and supporting our immigrant students and their families, reaffirming our commitment to every child's right to an education. Moving forward, I am commi committed to these strategies and others such as community schools, support for students in temporary housing and foster care and more to ensure holistic student safety. My second priority is academic rigor across every classroom. Students should be challenged, engaged, and pushed to reach their full fullest potential all with appropriate support and guidance. That's where our core academic initiatives, New York City reads, New York City Cells, and Student Pathways come into play. This work is already transforming our system and producing real outcomes for students. I am determined to deepen and strengthen this work. As chancellor with New York City Reads, we're implementing a multi-tiered system of supports or MTSS to determine the highest leverage interventions for each child. With New York City Solves, we are maintaining our focus on conceptual understanding while promoting automaticity and foundational math skills. And with new with student pathways, we are aligning our work to New York State's portrait of a graduate to ensure students gain the competency that the competencies that will not only earn them a diploma, but will also serve them well in college, career, and life. This in includes an emphasis on financial literacy starting in kindergarten with our partners at NYC Kids Rise and continuing through high school. Academic rigor, I should note, is not only the purview of K to2. This administration has taken significant steps towards universal early ch early early care and and education, including 2K and 3K expansion while sim simultaneously stabilizing the system. because we are committed to engaging enriching educational experiences from the earliest ages. My third priority, true in integration, is especially relevant to our New York City context because our schools should reflect our rich diversity and multiculturalis culturalism of the city we call home. This is about expanding robust, rigorous programs, many of which intentionally foster diversity in every sense of the word. From bilingual education to specialized programs for students with disability disabilities, from international balora programs to early ch early college high schools. It's it's about thoughtful enrollment policies and school utilization, especially as we meet the class size mandate. And it's about interdisciplinary culturally responsive learning experiences, leveraging materials like civics for all and respect for all programs. Let me be clear, respect for all is more than a slogan. It's something we live every day in NYC. Our students deserve to see their stories recognized and uplift uplifted and to celebrate the identities of others. To that end, I am proud to announce that building on the council's investment in in culturally responsive resources such as the black studies curriculum, the Latin studies curriculum, and hidden voices resource resources. We will be launching a comprehensive professional learning plan to expand the use of these materials in classrooms across the city. While all schools have access to these resources, access is not synonymous with implementation. I am committed to supporting our our educators to make that implementation seamless and impactful. I want to thank the many members who support whose support has been instrumental in bringing culturally responsive education to our schools. and I ask for your continued partnership. This is only the first step in my broader integration vision and I'm excited to to share more about how we are fostering equity and true integration district by district in the upcoming months. So, as you can see, we have hit the ground running and the FY2027 preliminary budget will enable us to accelerate this progress. I am deeply grateful to the Mamani administration for their support of our schools, students, and families. This budget indicate dedicates over $1 billion in new funding to our school system this fiscal year, a sum that will grow in the outer years, demonstrating this administration gets it. The mayor and his team are listening and recognizing our needs, stabilizing the system, and create creating efficient, effective, and sustainable pathways to long-term transformation. To start, this budget addresses operational necessities around technology, transportation, and more, laying a critical foundation for the rest of this work. The budget then builds on this foundation to advance broad the broader vision making significant strides towards safe academically rigorous and truly integration integrated schools with $106 million in baseline funding for summer rising. We will keep our children engaged and safe year round with investment that support early childhood $300 million this fiscal year and even more baseline and students with disability baseline at 226 million. Academic rigor will start early and the bar will remain high for all students. also meaningful in this baseline investment in in redu in reducing class sizes allowing us to hire more teachers. In in addition to this, we are closely collaborating with the school construction authority unions and elected officials to analyze our fiscal our physical footprint, brainstorming capital and operational strategies to meet the mandate. To our city council members, I want to thank you for your ongoing support, partnership, and dedication to our school communities in all these areas and many others. I also ask for your advocacy with state lawmakers as they pursue their own budget negotiations. We strongly support support both houses additions of foundational aid weights for students in temporary housing and foster care and increased weights for English language learners which I spoke to at the Senate at the state budget hearing in January. These updates are long overdue and will allow us to better support the needs of some of our most vulnerable learners. Moreover, both houses are proposing increased early childhood investments and the assembly is proposing class-siz funding all critical needs. At the same time, we hope the state will consider a regional cost index increase in the foundation foundation aid formula and weights for students with disabilities. Additionally, as the state considers an extension of mal control, I ask for your help in making clear to the state lawmakers the importance of this governance structure. As I testified to the city council last month, mayoral control allows us to pursue big, bold systemwide goals to ensure equity across our system and to respond effectively in moments of crisis. Both the mayor and I believe that mirror control and family empowerment can can and must coexist. Our children deserve both the centralized oversight and execution that allow that allow for real impactful change and local input and decision making that give our families a meaningful say. A thoughtful balance of the two will uplift our system to new will lift our system to new heights. To close, I want to thank this council for your continued partnership and dedication. It's been a pleasure meeting you meeting you and seeing you in your schools uh these last few months and I know we will continue to partner in service of our school communities. I look forward to to answering your questions. Thank you. Thank you, Chancellor, for your testimony. Uh, it has been exciting to see you get around the uh our our some of our schools throughout the city. Um, and I'm excited for uh the new team. You really have a a lot of good people supporting you in your work. So, I'm I'm very excited for what this DOE has to offer. Uh, I want to start with class size. uh the class size implementation in 2026 27 school year DOE needs to meet 80% compliance for class size and currently sits at 64% compliance in the school year. The administration added $542.9 million in city dollars and 57.1 million in newly recognized state funding for a total of 600 million invested in class size in fiscal 2027. Does the estimated funding for full implementation take into account any possible enrollment or demographic shifts? Why or why not? >> Yeah. So uh thank you for your question. Um we are uh committed to ensuring that we are moving towards uh this law as aggressively as as possible. Um this is something that's very very important to us and first uh given our enrollment challenges we do need to think about how we're using the buildings that we currently have to its max their maximum capacity. And so the first uh thing that you know certainly was top of mind for me was was developing a plan um for for for for our current build building utilization which does take into account where our current enrollment is. Uh when it comes to projections um I know that you know we're thinking about some of those projections. Um but first we are partnering with uh the school construction authority as well as our union partners to make sure that um we are we're we're thinking about the compliance um as we're because I think it's going to be very difficult to get to um 80% um by by September. But I want to turn it over to Erin to talk a little bit more about some of the considerations that we've had for a class size. >> Yeah. Two uh three things. One, I want to acknowledge we've also been joined by a number of council members including council member Banks, Felder, Wrestler, and one. Uh, second, uh, I just want to make sure if yes or no, does it take into account the possible enrollment or demographic shifts? And then when you answer, please state your name for the record. >> Um, Aaron Jant. And we are considering flat enrollment in our projections right now. um just because we're we're utilizing responses from the principal survey. So again in FY4 in advance of FY27 we put together the most comprehensive class size survey to date. We received uh we con uh developed the survey in response to or in partnership sorry with both UFT and CSA. Um, we received responses from all of our district 1 through 32 schools and are utilizing that information because again we believe principles understand um as they worked in partnership with their community how best to plan for class size implementation. >> So you're planning for flat enrollment. >> We Yes. And using responses from from the principles >> using the response from the principles. Thank you. Um now of course there's space constraints as was acknowledged. We'll be asking the school construction authority later about that. Um but how from from your perspective can you talk talk more about how you are planning around your space constraints that currently exist? >> Yeah. So as uh Erin started we asked uh all of our principles to respond to a survey that outlines that asked them a se several questions. Do you have if you have the space what what resource will what resources will you need to get to class size? And then also um if you don't have the space we are looking at what are some of the options for for schools and those range from um small room conversions to thinking about does does a school need an annex or is there a capital um investment strate working with the school construction authority as well as our union partners to really explore those in a very rigorous way in each district. And Erin, if you have anything to add >> and adding on again, we we've spent a um we we've shifted our approach and kind of built on what we've our partnership before to um kind of invest in a more intensive planning approach. Again, taking um our internal New York City public school teams alongside SEA going school by school. um also integrating results from the principal survey to determine what the bea best uh path forward to compliance would be around um identifying more more space. >> Thank you. I'd like to acknowledge we've been joined by council member Brewer. Um when you say identifying space, does that include repurposing art rooms, art studios, dance studios, theaters as classrooms? >> So that that's a great and interesting question. Well, we we are taking a a localized approach uh for and working with school communities in thinking about the best ways. Um I for one certainly as a superintendent uh saw some of those uh tradeoffs very very close and upfront and have worked to avoid those in in some proposals, but school communities will be uh engaged in thinking about what those adjustments could look like. Yeah, it would be a travesty to lose any of our art spaces, our dance spaces, our theater spaces. Um, and I would like to know how many art rooms are being taken away to comply with the the the class size law. Um, in the current year, DOE, UFT, and CSA agreed to a range of exemptions, including for the nine specialized high schools. How did the DOE decide on exemptions for this year? and what discussions have the DOE had with the uft and CSA about exemptions for next year? >> Yeah, so the conversation is ongoing in terms of thinking about what possible exemptions are. Um, and you know, I think I think we will be looking at and we're, you know, having conversations about some common sense flexibilities and exemptions. But Erin, you want to add? >> Um, and again, just thank you for that and thank you for raising that. Um we do meet very regularly with both UFT and CSA on class size reduction. Um we are uh working towards the deadlines outlined for our FY27 class size reduction plan. Um and just as a reminder the law asks that uh or the law requires that exemptions are jointly developed by New York City public schools uft and CSA. So it's a partnership. >> This is my question. Okay. Um, in fiscal 28 and the outy years, funding for class size jumps to $942.9 million in city funding and 57.1 million in state funding. How did the DOE estimate that 100% class size compliance will cost an additional 1 billion on top of the over $400 million in investments already made? >> Yeah. Well, so part of the thinking about class size is this idea that obviously you're going to need space. So there's a capital invest a potential capital investment and then there's also the hiring of teachers right as we continue to make sure that we um are fully staffed in in our in our positions. We do know that there are significant uh shortage areas. So that will require significant investment both in creating a pipeline as well as um making sure that we're covering the attrition that happens uh typically and like thinking about the um you know certainly in the high schools and the the middle schools all of the the the licenses areas that are that are really hard to find. So when we think about the space and when we think about the um the the the the the human capital that is going to be required to meet the mandates um I think you know those are that obviously are significant costs. >> Thank you. I'd like to acknowledge we've enjoyed my council members Faras and Narcissis. Um, and lastly, the the outyear funding. Does the outyear funding take into account possible demographic shifts? >> I'm going to turn it over to Serita to talk about the fun a little bit. >> Yep. Uh, sorry, Serita Scott. And so yes, the estimates uh reflect the projected uh staffing needs um that are required to fully to ensure that we're in compliance with the law and it takes into direct account um the school level data which again takes into account our hiring needs and other costs associated with ensuring that we are um meeting the mandate. >> So you are looking at demographic shifts >> our um we are constantly looking at demographic shifts. >> Yeah. And I I'll bring it up at any hearing I can. If since you're in the administration, uh if this administration, like previous ones, is not building two and three-bedroom apartments, if they're not building housing for family, uh we're just going to keep losing families. Uh might make your class size law easier, but it's not good for our city to lose to continue to lose families. Um the preliminary plan worked to correct underbudgeting in key areas such as due process, cases, and class size. The DOE's budget continues to have areas that appear to be overbudgeted. For example, the budget for books has been consistently overbudgeted when comparing actual spending to the adopted budget. On average, the DOE has underspent $43 million on books each year. Has the DOE looked at overbudgeting in the budget and object codes within the budget? And which areas seem to be overbudgeted when compared to actual spending trends? Yeah. So, just before you go, as a former uh principal, superintendent and thinking about school budgets, I would say this is something that we uh have been contending with for uh a year thinking about making sure that we actually u make use of all of our our spending and there are rules and um processes that help us to do that. But specifically when it comes to what you're talking about, I'm going to turn it over to uh Serena. >> Sure. So yes, we are definitely looking um I would say actually turning over all the couch cushions to see uh where there's underspin especially now that we are under the executive order um to achieve uh savings. So yes, we are definitely looking at all of those things. >> And what how do how do you plan to correct over budgeting in certain areas of the budget and which have you identified which budgets um like the budget for books are continually under spent when comparing to adopted budget actuals? >> Yep. So I just want to make sure that we're in the way in which we've been looking at savings. I want to make sure we're being careful because we want to ensure that there's no disruption to any school level services. So we have to be very strategic in all the places that we're actually looking for underspend. And so while we are still in the beginning of those uh conversations, we will we're focusing on like what's workable again with the focus on not disrupting any school level services. Well, I think none of us want disruptions, but I'm just asking what are some of the areas you've identified that have historically been overbudgeted where you can find the savings. >> Uh, so we've been looking in uh different programmatic areas looking whether or not those uh different programs have uh yielded the desired outcome. Again, if the funding was actually >> Can I'm sorry. Can you just provide some examples of some of the areas in the budget that are consistently overbudgeted that you are looking at to Thank you. >> Understood. I don't have the list in front of me, but I can provide it to you. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> That's an answer. Not not the answer I love, but that is an answer. Thank you. Um, you know, this is this is a, you know, working relationship. We have to find the dollars to make sure that they're going to our students and that we're not over budgeting because we we need to know where our dollars are. Um the DOE's contract procurement process includes the panel for educational policy which is a voting body of mayoral appointees, parents, and other community members. Uh we want to talk this process as it's tied to the mayoral control extension currently being negotiated and as you know you were here at the hearing last month. One of the sources of contention was the panel for educational policy um and its role in contracting the oversight that exists or doesn't exist there. Um how does a DOE's procurement and contracting process differ or not from other city agencies? Yeah, thank you for that question and um we'll continue to work with our with the panel but I wanted to turn it over to Alicia to talk specifically about um you know the relationship the difference between our procurement processes and other agencies. >> Good morning Alicia Belouie. Um in terms of the the procurement policy and processes uh I think at the last hearing I had mentioned that our our procurement policy differs from that of the city primarily because we are bound to at at at state law. Um but in in saying that our our processes don't differ very much. It's really more about the steps in the process. For instance, other city agencies aren't required to uh present contracts on a monthly basis to the panel for educational policy. So that adds steps into our process. I would say about probably eight weeks to the process. But in in most instances, our procurement our procurement uh processes and solicitation methods are very similar to that of the city. >> Can't some of the specific ways in which they're the same in terms of timeline and in terms of oversight that the public or city agencies have over the contracting process? Well, I can't speak specifically because I'm not an expert on the PPB. Um, but I do know we have done some comparisons uh in terms of the solicitation. So, we have RFP very similar to the city RFBs. Um, the the areas where we differ is we have listing applications, right? And these these are what I would classify as soul source procurements and that is primarily for uh textbooks and educational software. And the reason why they qualify for soul sources primarily because uh these are proprietary materials that you cannot purchase elsewhere. So that's one example. >> Yeah. The the um one of the sources of contention is that there's not enough oversight over the PEP and even the PEP members uh themselves don't see the contracts or necessarily know what they're voting on. One of the contentions is that there is not sufficient time for public feedback before there is an actual vote whether on contracts or anything else from the PEP. Would the DOE be in favor of adjusting the PEP contracting process to increase transparency for example by providing additional information to PEP members or by hearing contracts before voting on them at the PEP meeting? And does the deal we have any other recommendations to revamp this process to provide the transparency that we deserve in our uh in our city's budget? >> So, >> well, I think we're I'm going to be in on ongoing conversations with the PEP. We'll I'll consider some of those uh proposals that they're they're raising, but um for now um I'm not going to commit to changing any any any part of the process, but I I am open to listening to the concerns that they have. >> Thank you. Um I'm going to turn it over I'm going to turn it over momentarily to Chair Lee of the Finance Committee. Hi, good morning. Great to see you all. Um, sorry, I was just looking at more of the specific numbers from the OMB report and just was curious as to, for example, code 436 where it's school facility OTPS, right? For FY26 and 27, there seems to have been a decrease there. Um, and then for fringe benefits and PS, there seems to be an increase. And then just overall when you look at the full-time position pedagogical and non-pedagical um headcounts between FY26 and 27, it seems like they're relatively flat, right? So I guess my question is where is that main increase coming from between the FY 26 and 27 numbers? Is it new needs? Is it programs? Like where is that coming from? Uh so in terms of the headcount is associated with uh new needs and I can give you the specifics on those. Um in terms and in terms of the headcount not being adjusted yet for the outy years that's something that we'll continue to work with OMB on. Um and then I want to get more information on the U4 uh U of A436 that you flagged and I can come back to you with on that. So, so the FY27 headcount as it stands where it's 127,927 for or 12 million I think these are in millions um and 12603 those are not updated with the new needs for FY27 or are they >> um I will get back to you on that. >> Okay. Um because I just want to have an understanding of where the increase in the 1 almost2 billion dollars is coming from if the headcounts are the same. um is it supplies? Where is it coming from? Fringe, health insurance costs, those kind of things. So, if you could get back to me, that'd be great. And then also, when I look at the contracts, right, same sort of issue. It seems like actually there's a slight decrease in the number of contracts between FY 26 and 27, but yet there's an increase from 11.4 to 12.8. So that's another question I have is where are the main sort of increases? I know that for example payment to contract and corporate schools for handicapped kids that one is increasing quite a bit. Um just looking at these numbers um same thing with the charter schools but if the number of contracts are decreasing just curious as to why the per contract average is increasing. So, if you have information on that as well, that'd be great. >> Okay. Um, so just want to make sure I acknowledge that yes, we're seeing some increases due to uh the funding that was put into the budget uh for related contracted services also for our early childhood. Um, and you just you named another one, but just want to acknowledge the increases uh that we're seeing in contracts there, but I can give you more information on where we're seeing the fluctuations between what is budgeted versus, you know, what's coming down versus um uh what's going up. But we are seeing a number of investments that do actually have an impact on our contract spending budget. >> Okay. And if you could just give us a more detailed breakdown in terms of what like you said the fluctuation. Absolutely. Okay. Perfect. Um and then just going straight into uh chief savings officers because the DOE budget comprises of 29% of our city's overall budget. Um and then when you add fringe and other costs, it's actually 40% of the entire city's budget. So I just want that to sink in for a second. Um preliminary budget greatly increased the department's fiscal 27 budget from 35.4 billion to 38 billion, a 7.4% increase compared to the November plan. Um and there are areas that are continually underspent as the chair mentioned but continue to be budgeted at current levels and additionally the administration asked of course we know um all chief savings officers to identify savings and the report that was due last Friday. So um if you I know the chair already sort of asked this but what were the details of this report and what specifically was proposed? Yeah. So, um, with regards to the chief savings officer, uh, we've obviously designated ours and we had significant deliberations on where we want to be conscientious and, um, find fund, uh, savings for this year. Uh the mayor was clear that um you know vital services need to be protected and so we as much as possible we um are cognizant of not impacting schools but we have um been working and submitted our preliminary savings cost. >> Yep. The only thing I'll add there is that the submission included a wide range of options across uh administrative efficiencies, programmatic adjustments, areas of other spend um and operational cost controls. And again, as the chancellor just stated, um, with the f focus on preserving, uh, classroom instruction. >> Okay. Yes. And I want to emphasize that we are on the same page. We want to make sure that the services themselves are, um, you know, remaining at the same levels. And so I just want to emphasize that point. Um, my favorite topic, the mental health continuum, which I bring up every year. Um, so I noticed that it did not include funding for the continuum uh, for the 5 million across DOE, H&H, and DOH. So just out of curiosity, how many schools currently have access to mental health centers and what is the total number of mental health centers and clinics open with this funding? >> Yeah, so thank you for that and um um we're committed to uh the mental health continuum. Uh in every school we have uh every school has at least a guidance counselor, social worker or um a mental health um organization that is clinic that is is connected to. and I'm going to turn it over to Deputy Chancellor Flavia to talk a little bit more specifically about the the data that you asked. >> Thank you. Good morning everyone. Flavia Puo Predommo. Um thank you council member Lee for your question. So currently we have uh 50 schools that are supported through the mental health continue primarily um central Brooklyn and the Bronx, South Bronx and u parts of the Bronx where we had high needs specifically for those 50 schools. Uh we developed 16 school-based mental health clinics that um are dedicated to support 16 out of the 50. But in addition to that um 34 of uh 34 of the school gets uh their support uh through H&H through their um through their local clinics. So there's like a combination of support services as you highlighted where some of the services happen in the school in the ground including professional robust professional learning for the staff but the more clinical acute services for those who are not um happening in the school happen to community based clinic and I want to emphasize that this is in addition to the nearly 250 mental health clinics that we have supporting uh approximately 400 schools. >> Yeah. >> Um how many students are s and those are the article 31s? >> Yes. >> Okay. So those are the article 31 >> additional 250. Yes. And how many providers are those 250? Because I know it's not 250 providers. So in other words, it's probably multiple um satellite sites that they have. Uh so for the for the continuum specifically this the 16 clinics right >> that are specific for the continue the additional clinics that I mentioned the over um approximately 250 clinics are mostly their the school-based clinics that are in DOE building open to the campus. So for instance, when I was a principal in the building that I was in in the three schools, we had a clinic that provided both mental health support services and other clinical services, >> right? Through let's just say Charities or Mont. Okay. Correct. >> Okay. Um and how many students are currently utilizing the continuum program? >> Um for the mental health continue for the 50 schools is approximately 20,000 students. >> 20,000. Okay. And would you be able to still provide it if the funding were not available? >> We we will not because we wouldn't be able to uh maintain the same level of fidelity of support, but also the mental health continuum specifically was anchored in schools that didn't have that kind of support. >> And do you think the funding is enough to meet the levels or if what what would you say is the appropriate amount of funding that would be able to meet the current needs? What I can say factually is that those clinics have been able to support um nearly um like you know 6,600 appointments uh that otherwise would have probably been delayed and would have not been received. I think is really looking at all of the assistance that we have to support students and also making sure that our families and our students are aware and consistently looking at the gaps and the needs just like we're looking for everything else because they they do change and they do shift and we have to keep an eye on our communities and what their needs are. And we know that since the pandemic um mental health challenges has really um escalated and we need to continue to stabilize our students. Um and just moving really quickly over to state budget and funding. So obviously as mentioned uh chancellor uh the state one house bill does include a number of proposals that would increase the amount of state funding coming to the city. Um and both the Senate and assembly included proposals to increase the weights in the foundation aid formula for ELLL English language learners from 0.53 to 6 and add a weight for students experiencing homelessness and living in foster care. Um and the assembly includes further proposals for additional funding for 3K and class size. Um so the IBO independent budget office estimates that the state and assembly ELLL proposal would add 69 million in foundation aid funding in fiscal 27. Has DOE conducted their own estimate? And if so, where does that land compared to IBO's estimate? >> Uh so yes, we've conducted our analysis and we agree with that estimate. >> Okay, perfect. Um, and then IBO also estimates that the Senate proposal for added weight for students experiencing homelessness and living in foster care would add 93 million in funding. Um, and that the assembly proposal would add 486. So, what was the number that you came to? >> Um, so we're slightly off from the Senate's proposal. Uh, we have we estimate about 75 million and we're in alignment with the assembly's proposal. >> Okay, perfect. And um what are Dewy's thoughts on these and other educational funding proposals in the one house bill? Are you advocating for this at the state level? And of course that's something we talked about when we went up also for tin cup day as well. >> Yeah, we are we are advocating for those things. And uh just to before you move on um council member Lee I think uh Serita want to address something? >> Yep. I wanted to address your headcount question. Yes. Uh so the headcount that was included as part of the new needs and preliminary budget uh was in part for early childhood education um to align with the expansion and then also in support of our IESP efforts. That one is only in fiscal year 26 and that's the reason why we see um we don't see the amount right in the out years and so that's what we'll continue to work with OMB to um adjust the budget. >> Okay. And then just a final question about your how just curious do you do group purchasing across all your schools and systems and everything. I see a smile on your face only because I I know that some agencies have done that which actually helps towards mitigating a lot of the costs involved and just and for example for department for the aging for our senior center back in the day um they actually extended their group purchasing and health insurance fringe benefit rates to the nonprofit providers um which greatly helped you know because obviously it increases their numbers and it lowers the cost and so I was just wondering how that works or >> Yeah. So I I smile because that's something that we're is certainly top of mind for us, something that we're thinking about um particularly in future years in terms of uh some reforms that we have coming up. But I want to turn it over to Alicia B. >> Sure. >> Good morning, Alicia Belouie. Thank you for that question. So um when I think about group purchasing, it's um it's a contract that you would have with other school districts to um to achieve scale and and and and best pricing. It's it's not a common practice at the DOE, but it's something that we're exploring as one of our procurement reform strategies to um to uh ensure that we're spending our dollars efficiently. >> Perfect. Thank you. That Thank you, Chair. >> Thank you, Chair. We've been joined by council members Krishnan and Epstein and by Speaker Menon. I'll turn it over to Speaker Menon. >> Thank you so much, Chair. Really appreciate that. And thank you, Chancellor, and your whole team for being here today. Okay. So, a number of different questions. I want to start with universal child care. So, obviously universal child care is an enormous area of alignment between the council and between the mayor. And so, in that vein, now that funding has been allocated for early childhood educational programming, the council wants to ensure that the implementation is both highquality and coste effective and um truly universal. So, what is the DOE doing to address chronic issues um including provider payment delays, multi- agency coordination, staffing shortages, and seat misalignment? >> Yeah, thank you so much for that and thank you so much for your alignment and our universal belief in that child care is something that's super important and it's way too expensive and we're addressing that on behalf of our families. together. I'm going to turn it over to Deputy Chancellor Hawkins to talk specifically about some of the con the the concerns you've raised because we are uh working through some of those um as a system. >> Good morning, Simone Hawkins. And so, thank you speaker for those questions. Um and so we've been doing a lot of work to improve payments that begins with the contracting process. And as you know, with your support, with the support of many others, including the controllers's office, we've been improving and streamlining that process. Once a contract is registered, then they have the ability to b begin invoicing us. And so, my team has been improving the way that we just engage with providers, specifically our CBOS and family child care partners to make sure that they have the supports they need. We've been talking with the mayor's office of child care about how ways we can partner to help folks build their back office right muscle. I said this before, a lot of folks get into this work, they just want to love and care on the on the children and not necessarily want to be an accountant. And so we need to recognize that and make sure that they're properly supported. And so where we are seeing kind of the biggest backlog in payments is where there is still a contract pending, not necessarily where there is an invoice being, you know, can take action on. Where there is an active contract, we are still working with providers to honestly submit budgets. They do need to submit a budget in order to begin invoicing. So again, those are things we're doing to support providers around payments. You asked other questions, speaker. I'm so sorry. >> Before you go further on the payment system, I mean, we're still getting tremendous number of complaints and concerns about this. So what exactly is a timeline to try to rectify late payments? >> So I'm not aware of late payments. I want to be very very clear about that. And so if there are any, please do reach out to our office. We will look into them. That is something we take seriously. we can't ask folks to do this work if they're not properly resourced. >> Um, another issue is the technology. We started the prekit system which is one of the primary systems we use for our contracted providers. It had its particular use at some time. We've been growing ECE and so now we need to also grow our system capabilities. And so thanks to the council, we're able to hopefully at the end of this calendar year launch a new system called the early childhood management system which will give increased transparency and visibility into the process of payments for our providers. >> Okay. The other areas were multi- agency coordination, staffing shortages, and seat misalignment. >> Yeah, I'll start with the last one because that's something that's really exciting. So for a while now we've been working with each of the providers mostly to age down a lot of communities as you probably know they really are in need of infant and toddler care. And so where we have been seeing persistent under underutilization in prek and 3k and where providers are willing and capable we've been working to modify their slot configuration based on the needs of their communities. So I'm I'm really excited. We've made a lot of progress and we are looking forward to doing that more. Um, and we honestly used the CTL transitional contract, previously Early Head Start and Head Start to really make a dent in those efforts. Um, and so wanting to make sure that we are continuing to do that as we look for 2K um, and launching 2K. And so what I what I will quickly introduced is the fact that what we did with existing providers was release a survey. And so we are allowing them to look at their current portfolio of to seats to say, "Hey, we want to participate in 2K. We want to leverage this opportunity by modifying our slot." So we're doing that with that as well in addition to a RFI. I'm taking up a lot of space. I don't know. >> That's fine. >> The kids take up a lot of space. >> Sorry. I want to really spend a lot of time talking about contract spending because DOE has the largest contract budget of course of any city agency at 12.9 billion which is as we all know a third of DOE's operating budget. Unlike other city agencies, the DOE contracts flow through the panel for educational policy for approval. We have heard concerns about the process and its transparency and we've also heard concerns about the size of DOE's contracting budget and we want to better understand the full landscape of DOE's contracts. So the first question is how many contracts are related to mandated programming such as contract related services and due process cases and charter schools. >> Great. Uh Alicia, >> good morning Alicia Baloy. Thank you for the question. I'll start by saying that the division of contracts and purchasing which I oversee processes around 1,700 procurement actions annually and has done this for the nearly 3,000 active contracts with annual spend of about approximately 7 billion. We're always working to ensure that we're getting the best value for goods and services procured by New York City public schools inclusive of working with nonprofits and small businesses including many of our uh MWBEs. I welcome the opportunity to have a broader discussion on the topic and to help you understand the full landscape and the policies that dictate how procurement works at the DOE. >> Can you can you speak a little closer to the microphone please? >> Yes, absolutely. Sorry about that. Um but in terms of your specific question um about the uh related uh contracts related to uh mandated programming, there are 227 contracts for mandated services across multiple categories including related services, special education assessments, assist of technology, translation and interpretation and transcription and the combined value for these contracts is approximately 17 billion over the life of their respective contract terms. What is the contract value associated with these 267 mandated contracts? >> Uh the 227 is is 17 billion. >> I'm sorry. Could you spoof it? >> 17 billion. >> Could we get a breakdown provided to the committee of the contracts and of the associated value? >> Yes, I can. >> Are you able to provide the contracts? That would be very helpful too. the actual contracts. Um, I'll I'll I'll I'll uh circle back with my team to see how much of a lift that would be because I think that the contract the individual contracts are probably like 200 300 pages. So, we'll work and see figure out how we can get that to you. >> Okay. What is the contract value associated specifically with technology contracts? So there are 73 active contracts for uh for technology and >> did you I'm sorry. Did you say 73? >> 73. Okay. >> And their contract value is approximately 2.3 billion over the life of the contract. >> And why are there multiple contracts for laptops, tablets, and other hardware? >> So given the scale, the size and scale of the DOE, we often award contracts to multiple vendors for same or similar services. and that's to create redundancies to reduce operational risk in the case that there are uh any capacity issues which often happens. One more one recent incident uh or um that I that I can recall is when when the cell phone ban mandate was rolled out, we had to ensure that our vendors had the appropriate technology, the pouches available for uh for the schools in a very short period of time. And even with that proactive planning, we still ran into some delays primarily because tariffs were imposed and so some of the inventory got stuck on the water. So having those options allows us to pivot in real time to without having to go through a lengthy procurement process. >> How many of all the contracts we're discussing, so not just related to technology to be clear, how many of the contracts are no bid contracts or other words contracts that were procured outside of an RFP process. So out of uh out of the the the uh contracts awarded 96% are are primarily competitive and only 4% of those contracts are um are are non what you would what we would consider non-competitive or what you stated no bid >> and so the 4% what were those contracts who were they awarded to and for what purposes? uh a majority of those contracts are for uh negotiated services for early childhood education that includes the 4410s uh and some of the UPK contracts. In addition, we h I mentioned earlier that we have listing applications which I would con I had classified as soul source uh that's for uh textbooks and educational software. >> So two things so that 4% what does that constitute in terms in a numerical value? What what does that constitute in terms of how much those no bid contracts were? >> Um, you know, hold on one second. Let me can I I can get back to you on that. >> Yeah, if you could get back to us and we'd like an answer this week before the OM hearing. So, which is on Wednesday. So, we'd like an answer before then. >> Um, and let me just restate. Um, you know, no, I think it's it's 94% that is competitive and and 6%. >> So, 6%. So, if we could get before Wednesday's hearing a list of the 6% of contracts that were no bid, who were they for? What were the value and the purposes of those contracts? >> Absolutely. >> And if you could provide it both to the chair and to myself. Thank you. Um, so how many contracts of this of this whole bucket that we're talking about are with outside consulting firms like constitute consulting firms. So I want to ensure that I'm providing adequate responses to this particular question. So I'm going to say that we have numerous contracts for a wide array of what I would define as consulting services including but not limited to professional development for teachers and administrators, IT consultants who support infrastructure projects and educational consultants who provide direct support to schools. Now, the DOE also has two contracts with one major consulting firm, Ernest and Young, for auditing and forensic accounting services with a combined value of $17 million. Now, um I'll pause here to see if there are any clarifying questions because I do have some data on on uh on on what I would consider contracts for consulting services. >> I do have a question about the Earnest and Young contract. So because a third of DOE's budget is going to these contracts, what does the Earnest and Young audit show that there are areas where maybe they're duplicative contracts or there areas of potential savings around these outside consulting contracts? That's really what we're trying to get to. >> I'm unable to answer that question. >> Well, but you mentioned that Ernest and Young did a $17 million audit. So I mean what were the findings of the audit in terms of the consulting contracts? >> Sorry if I can just chime in there. Um so the work Ursen Young is doing for us is not in terms of looking at redundancies across the agency. They actually do a C4E audit for us which is mandated by the state. So that is one which ways that they service us. >> What was there any audit overall of consulting contracts? Not that I'm aware of >> because it seems like that would be a big area of opportunity for the agency to really look at are there areas where perhaps numerous consultants are duplicating work or and I recognize that many of these contracts are from last year. So again I'm trying to get to that issue. >> Yeah. Um so I think first of all thank you for the line of questioning. Uh I think you're um coming up on some of the things we are discussing in our in our ch with our chief sa savings officer and the plans there to really take a look at what are areas that that are duplicative and so on as we move into the future. So uh those are conversations that we are having now not sure how much we had those conversations before. >> Okay. Thank you. I want to move on to due process cases. So with the addition of 500 million in fiscal 2026 and the prelim plan, the budget for due process cases, also known of course as Carter cases, is now $1.49 billion. So this is an area that had been underbudgeted in the past, which I know the administration has highlighted um which is very important. So we want to really better understand that. Um, in fiscal year 2016, the budget for due process cases was 312 million. Um, can you speak to the increase in spending on due process cases over the past decade, both for tuition and for services? >> Yeah, thank you so much for that question, Speaker M. We are we're actively and deeply working on our due process cases and and how they project into the future. Um, and I'm going to turn it over now to our chief legal officer, uh, Liz to talk a little bit more. >> Good morning, uh, Liz Vladic. Thank you for the question. Um, I I can't overstate its importance, and I think it's really critical to set forth the context. I think there's a lot of of misinformation and misunderstanding about this phenomenon. Um so the context is that from year to year we used to see an average of between five and 6,000 total cases being filed. Um due process cases that's the overall rubric. Um which you know the the premise of which is that a family is seeking something to support their student with a disability that they um are not receiving directly from us. I was a parent who filed those claims. Um, when Mayor Delasio took office, he instituted a policy whereby DOE was directed to settle all cases where it wouldn't practically be malpractice to settle. Um, he took the view, you know, totally fairly from my perspective that families who were felt the need to bring a legal claim shouldn't then be battling um through the legal process. And I think that was well-intentioned, but it had some pretty damning consequences. And so we saw that average of 6,000 cases a year start to jump. Um, and we saw exponential growth year over year over year. So we hit a high of 26,000 cases in FY24. Um, and so again, those cases that's they went up what, five times in eight years. um the common narrative that attached to these cases turned out to be badly um off base factually and I think has done a real disservice to the tremendous progress that my colleague DC FOD and her teams have made in serving students with disabilities. The narrative that took hold was that um this is a further illustration of DOE failing to provide for the needs of students with disabilities. But in fact, as we started to understand our data better, what we discovered is that um up to twothirds of all cases being filed were not Carter cases. So the terminology is Carter cases. This refers to a Supreme Court decision that established the premise that a family where they want a public education for their student with disabilities, they are entitled to it. And if the school district fails to provide it, um then the school district is obligated to pay the tuition for the school that the family on its own identifies, the specialized school. Um, IESP cases, which is a nomenclature we didn't language we didn't even have really five years ago. Um, are cases where the family is is not seeking a public education. They are not looking for a placement in a public school no matter what services and programs we may be able to offer in our public school. Instead they are because of their family, their personal desires, whatever it may be, they are choosing a private school that is not generally a specialized private school. That may be a religious school. It may be um you know one of the private schools on the Upper West or Upper East Side that we all know the names of. Um but they're seeking to have the DOE what the law requires is to provide services for their students. New York State did a funny thing about 15 years ago. Um, and I'll say what I mean by funny, um, not haha. Um, in seeking to support the the rights and needs of students with disabilities who did not want public education, they removed the funding cap, the financial cap on a school district's legal obligations to students who do not want a public school education. Our obligations to Carter students is to pay whatever it takes. We get a federal idea grant, but if that grant's not enough for us to meet each individual students needs, we've got to find city tax levy money. We've got to get help from the state. We've got to pay whatever it takes. That's not how IESP cases work in the rest of the country. Um and if you look at the law and the history clearly no one ever conceived of IESP cases becoming a huge cost center but that is what happened. Um and so in fiscal year 24 we spent almost $400 million on IESP cases cases that again students who did not seek a public education. And unfortunately, we've identified a tremendous amount of fraud and abuse and simple misunderstanding that this is not just, you know, free money. Um, and so we've taken extensive steps to tighten up the process. We've made numerous criminal referrals. Um, and so where we're really seeing a drop in due process cases is on the IESP side. We were down 40% last year over the year before. A lot of that is the tremendous work again by Deputy Chancellor FOD to make unheard of investments, tens of millions of dollars, it's in the preliminary budget into directly serving IESP students, cutting out the middlemen, lawyers, agencies who've benefited enormously from this phenomenon. But the other thing that's happening is that the Carter cases, the tuition cases, while they haven't exploded in volume in the same way, they're creeping up in terms of annual tuition cost. And so, uh, the average cost of a Carter case right now of tuition is $100,000 a year. On the other hand, the average cost of a case where there's a where there's an autism diagnosis is $144,000 a year, and autism cases are now a third of Carter cases. So, the money is a huge issue. Now, we think that the progress we've made in bringing case filings down is going to start to be reflected in spending. We're optimistic. But I think the more important point and the one that we are focused on is that the $100,000 over here in a Carter case or the $30,000 a year over here in an IESP case, there are no results to be gleaned from that spending. There's no accountability. There's no reporting as to the quality of those programs, the graduation rates of those students. So when we keep that in mind, then we look at dials, special education programs and services, programs like um the Nest program and the Horizon program, programs where we've got waiting lists and we've never even advertised. We have remarkable graduation rates for those students and we're spending half a third of the cost of an I of a Carter case. So, what we really need, you know, we're we're doing all that we can internally. We're working incredibly hard. I'm even going to tell you that um Cheryl Williams and Emily Manarik on my team and their teams have eat, slept, and breathed this issue for four years. Um, but what we really, really need is help with the big picture. help with getting the public to understand what effective special education programs and services look like, getting them more exposure to how high quality our programs and services are, and ensuring that we're able to scale up those programs and services because we serve over a quarter of a million students in our schools with IEPs. And we do it despite the public narrative that's attached for many years. we actually do it really well. Um, and early childhood programming has because we've been able to start interventions earlier at a younger age with students, we're seeing those investments. >> I just thank you for that overview. I a couple questions on that. So, you know, specifically regard you you've on Carter cases like what specific steps is DOE taking to manage the the growing cost in that area and have you partnered for example with Oath on any legal strategies in that regard? >> Yeah. So, we're very very proud to have um helped to lead the creation of the Oath tribunal. We worked very closely with the state. Um and part of how the boon got so bad was that case processing times slowed to a crawl and frankly that operated to the advantage of the bad actors. So we are really proud to have gone from in some cases more than a year to move a case through the system to under 90 days on average which is the legal obligation. We're really doing great there. Where I do have concerns is on some of the kinds of fraud control measures that we think are really critically important um where we and oath don't see eye to eye. Now I don't think people always understand of course DOE defends cases but we have a separate function on case administration. So what oath does is actually a delegation of our legal obligation for that case administration. And we think that things like requiring a parent to appear at a hearing and confirm that they asked to have the case brought is important. >> Okay. I just want to interrupt because I want to push back though on this timeline of the cases closing because the MMR reflects something different. It says it really reflects that many of the cases that were settled or closed in fiscal 2025 were filed several years prior. a few date back as far as 2007, meaning the students are literally now well past school age. What is the reason that a case would take this long to complete? >> Yep. It's a great question. I pay close attention to this. When I started, we had 11,000 cases that hadn't even been assigned a hearing officer. At this point, when cases are taking a long time to close, it could be any number of things that are specific to the case. For example, it may be that um there is some complicated thing about the case and the parties have agreed to extensions which is totally lawful timeline extensions. It may be that um we really strongly disagree or the family does with the outcome of the hearing and so there are many rounds of appeals going up and down first to the state review office then to state or federal court. Um there are plenty of cases that fit that bill, but those are specific to the cases, not to the process. >> Okay. I mean, I think you're going to hear a lot more from colleagues about this issue. I mean, there's a real concern about the ballooning costs around this. So, I know many of my colleagues will also continue to ask questions about this. Um I want to move on to a different topic about paraprofessional pay parody. Um we've talked obviously just now about the cost of the due process cases. Um but the backbone of that whole system are really our paraprofessionals and they have long worked for too little pay. The council has proposed a bill intro 692 which would provide paraprofessionals with much needed additional pay as the current starting salary for pair of professionals is $32,000. it is far too low. Um, in terms of the data on current DOE headcount that was sent to the council last week, it indicates that there are currently a little under 26,000 PAR professional positions that were filled about 1,200 of which are for hourly positions. So my question is what is the current vacancy rate for paras? Yeah. >> So we value our um power professionals throughout the department and we see their value and you know we thank the council for bringing raising this issue of um pay parody. Um in terms of uh our f filling uh par professionals roles I don't know um Christina do you have uh any data on that in front of you? Yeah. Yes, Chancellor. I have data from um uh the office that oversees parah hiring. Uh currently we have 2100 paras. We have 5,520 sub para profofessionals. >> I'm sorry. Can you repeat that? Five. Say that one more time. >> Currently we have 2100 um that we have hired. We have 5,520 PAR professionals operating as subpar >> and in terms of the vacancy rate that I was provided, it's 1324 and subpar are available to cover these vacancies on a daily basis. Can >> please just state your name for the record. >> Christina Fod. So, 1300 you said in terms of the vacancy. So, what can be done? You know this is a really a dire situation for the pair of professionals. Again we are totally 100% committed to raising the pay for the pair of professionals. What is DOE's plan you know in terms of this and what can be done given the vacancy rate and the low uh pay rate for paras. >> Yeah I think you know we do so much around recruiting. We make sure that the um the the par profofessional um portal is open as much as we can. Um we're connecting with uh we have uh principles connecting with local community members to really try to do outreach there. Um and again, you know, we're open to thinking about um par profofessional uh pay raises with the support of the council. Is someone else there? Okay. >> No, I think that's good. >> Okay. I mean, I just want to be clear about this. I mean, our strong feeling is that until we raise a pair of professionals pay, which absolutely has to happen. It we're going to continue to face this crisis in terms of the vacancy rates. It affects obviously the students who are most in need, who need the pair of professionals. So, I can't overemphasize the important and our strong commitment to raise paraprofessional pay. I have a lot more questions, but I'm going to turn it back over to the chair so that other council members can ask. >> Thank you, speaker man. I one follow-up question about the Carter cases and then I'm sorry, the due process cases and then we'll go to council member questions. I'm I'm trying to understand a little bit, Miss Flatic. Um I I mean I maybe I'm a little biased. I think we have great special education programming. I think you agree. I don't think that narrative exists. Um, but you say there's a narrative that's dissuading people from engaging the in the special education programming that we have here in the city. And also at the same time that even without advertising, your Nest programs are doing extremely well. You have lines out the door. I'm trying to reconcile those two things. And also if we know that these programs work, which I know we and we've testified here before, this has been my line of questioning before, and it's in the long term going to save money by having fewer students with those private school tuitions, why aren't we pumping more money into schools or programs specifically for students with autism? >> Yeah. Can I can I just uh So, look, I think overall when we think about what we need to do in special education and um you know, making sure that folks know about our programs, we also need to create more programs and invest in more programs closer to home for our families. We see that when we've done that, those programs are high quality. I visited one in District 12 quite recently. Um, and that also cuts down on something I'm sure you'll ask later, which is the transportation of kids from home, from school to home. And so, we need more high quality programs closer closer to home. And I'll I'll add uh I'll ask um Christina and Liz to follow up on that. But just overall overarching, I think the investment going forward is is is is what's really critical here. >> Yeah. So, I let's I just really need us to get clear on this. Number one, Liz just mapped out, and it is worth spending time on this, she mapped out what the last 15 years has looked like in terms of funding. We have been operating under a system of policy and process where the New York City public schools has been asked to do anything by all costs to settle cases. These are students that never entered New York City public schools. We didn't fail them. So my question you know and I I just want to put it back. Have we been operating under all you know doing anything necessary to f fulfill the funding requirements of mandated services? The answer is no. And chair I have the deepest deepest respect for you. When we call our special education system broken that means our children are broken. That means the educators in the system are broken. That means our schools are broken. And I argue to the absolute opposite. That we are at 93% compliance because of the deep competency of our schools and our educators and of our brilliant children. Now, when we have funding come coming our way, we are able to do things like create worldclass programs where kids with autism who come in not speaking graduate in four years at 97%. When we have funding, we open up 11,600 specialized programs seats. When we have funding, we hire 500 related service providers this year, 800 special education preschool seats, 20 preschool assessment teams that speak children's languages in their communities. Now, if we want to get to a place where we say by all means necessary, special education will be funded, then we will not be out of compliance anymore and we will have competitive options for our Carter school for students pursuing Carter Carter schools. So, that is the real story here. And we can continue to talk about how quickly we pay our Carter schools or we can continue to talk about how we are a broken system out of compliance or we can make the decision finally to holistically take care of our kids. And you know, Council Member Lee talked about fair student funding um and and uh raising rates. Well, guess what? Fair student funding never paid never gave us money to support psychologists, related service providers. We do that locally. Right. So like when we talk about special education, I really just am asking folks join in our narrative about how brilliant our schools and educators are and how a broken larger e fiscal ecosystem that we've been doing everything possible to make up for that you've been doing everything possible to make up for. we get piece by piece investments and when we get that those pieces we make gold out of it for children but we have to start from the whole um and so that's that's the biggest that's the answer and I know it's longwinded chair of when you give when we have that we have hundreds and hundreds of children waiting on who want specialized programs we have families in China saying that I want to relocate because I heard about this program we have Denmark recommend replicating our programs. So when you give it to us and when the city makes this choice, it it is brilliant. And so I would say that we have a deeply functional special education system, a fiscal ecosystem that that needs the larger help. >> It sounds like we're saying the same thing though, which is which is that which is that when we make the investments, we do amazing things. And you've testified to that. So we agree my my question is where in the DOE budget are the investments. It is the right thing to do by our students and it is is the right thing to do by our city budget to save money on what is otherwise going to private schools. So that that is the question. Where is the money in the DOE budget? Where is the administration investing this money? I think we can't gloss over that point about the money that's going to private schools that quickly. >> In addition to the fact that people may not know about our programs, there is a very well-funded set of folks in our city who do plenty of advertising and outreach to recruit people to outside programs. That's why there are kids who never show up in our schools. I switched my kid back out of a very well-known Carter school because they gave up on him and a New York City public high school got him over the finish line. The schools that all this money is going to and by the way the provider shortage ISP cases equals related services. So we have a provider shortage. Why? because we went from a few hundred IESP cases a year to almost 30,000 IESP cases a year. So please when when DC FOD talks about the ecosystem, the ecosystem is not just OM's material online about what money coming to us. It is also the outflow of public dollars for private education that is not accountable. Not accountable for general education standards and not accountable for giving a student with disabilities what they need. And I'm saying that with respect to Carter and ISP schools. That's that's the part that we really don't control. But really $1.5 billion dollars a year. the number of seats that we could create in DC FOD's programs, never mind the advertising campaign that we could do that we do for early childhood that we could do for Nest and Horizon programs. The money is going out the door and it's not accountable and we need help figuring out why. >> So, is it the the DOE's position then that you would like to reinstate the cap for service providers? >> No, I don't think that's what I'm saying. It's it's our position that any dollars being spent on special education should be accountable, right? So that any any tuition money we're paying, any services money we're paying, there should be some obligation on the part of the schools, the programs to demonstrate that those kids are getting what they need. It's why the tens of millions, the tens of millions of dollars we're now spending to support IESP students who never wanted to come to public school, all of those dollars, all of those providers are could be going into our schools. And New York State, by the way, which decided to take the funding cap off of IESP cases, has never put in a dollar to supplement those costs. We're paying 10 times what the federal law requires us to pay. >> Right. So, I'm gonna I think we should talk more. I want to get to council member questions, but there is this question about the cap, which I think that it sounds like the DOE can take an official position on and can do advocacy with the council toward to the state if that is a real one of the elements of the challenges of the financial challenges to these due process cases. I'm going to turn over to council member Schulman. Thank you very much, chair. And I just want to uh I have some questions about early childhood intervention, but before I get to that, I want to say since I've been a council member, I've been asking the same questions about the Carter cases. And I what I do want to say is that I have programs in my district that are wonderful for D75 and for people for kids in need. And we have to replicate those. That's my position on this. Um, so early intervention is a critical program administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that serves children from birth to age three with developmental delays. As children age out of the program, the DOE plays a key role in ensuring a smooth transition into preschool special education services. During the health committee fiscal 2027 preliminary budget hearing last week, DOH highlighted the importance of this transition and I would like to get additional clarity around timelines, coordination, and service capacity. DOH stated that 81% of individualized family service plans are developed within 45 days. What is the typical timeline for DOE to evaluate and place a child referred from early intervention and where do delays most commonly occur? Uh thank you for your question. Certainly um when we think about um early intervention that is something we are uh certainly invested in. We um when we think about how programs have been done in the past and things that we want to rectify these are areas that we're really thinking about. So I want to turn it over to Chris Christina. You want to address some of that? And I'll I'll start and then I'll tag you in. And so as you mentioned, council member, early intervention, that is a process handled by the health department, but there is a small but mighty team on my team, the division of early childhood education that supports with the transition from EI through the CPSE process. >> Timelines is something that is managed by my colleagues in dial um on getting them evaluated. So I'll pat out. Yes. Thank >> of course. So, um, as DC Hawkins said, we work very closely with early intervention and early childhood to make sure that handoff is as, uh, smooth as possible for families. Not to be broken record on this point, but again, we've been making up for a lack of fiscal infrastructure on the preschool point. That means what that turns out to mean for family is that families is that the handoff from early intervention to CPSSE needs a personal touch via the CPSC workers and outreach coordinators that that work directly with families. Now, when those CPSSE workers have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of cases, that personal touch is a little different than when a a family a worker is able to an administrator is able to work handinand with a family. And so with the recent investments that you all helped advocate for, Advocates for Children helped and certainly the city um made uh a wonderful investment in uh we've been able to hire, you know, 80 add we're hiring 80 additional evaluation teams, almost 47 additional administrators and other essential staff. And so we thank you for that investment and that is what is going to make the handover as smooth and supportive as possible for families. >> Thank you. So I have a followup which does DOE currently have sufficient staffing and capacity to meet the needs of children transitioning from early intervention and how are case loads managed across providers? >> Thank you council member Shman. Uh the yes that that is through those investments that is how we are are are getting there. Um and we're seeing our compliance rates increase uh over time but that hiring is happening this year via the current investments. We're gonna expect to see um our numbers look much better and have a very clear a much clearer baseline in the upcoming school year. >> Okay. During the health committee hearing, DOH stated it would follow up on how many staff are dedicated specifically to background clearances for 2K programs. From DOE's side, how many staff are required to support or coordinate with this clearance process? That's part one of the question. Part two, is there a shared system or database between DOE and DOH to track clearance status in real time? >> That's that's me. Um, so very intimately aware of this process. So we do for our programs require pets clearance which is different from independent programs which go through DOI and so can get back to you around how many staff currently support the pets process that is outside of my division. Um but what we have on my team is a policy staff uh also small but mighty that actually support with managing as the liaison between the provider organization and the pets team if there are any delays. I will say it moves very quickly and in certain situations in the past we have allowed for some concession for folks to go to DOI. That is not something we can allow it continually but we do allow uh we do have supports within my team to support with the process. And we I just want to um so I remember when we had the previous hearing, we talked about getting together with DOMH at some point. So I want to follow up with you on that and I also want to sorry chancellor I got so bogged down with the previous conversation robust talk. Uh welcome to a hearing. I just wanted to say >> it's okay. That's >> and uh that that's it. But thank you chair. >> Thank you council member. Next we have Council Member Joseph. >> Hello. Good morning everyone. Happy to see you all. Um I have a I have a couple of questions so I'm going to go fast because I only have five minutes. Um in the last hearing from um children and youth committee commissioner interimm commissioner said they would be having a conversation with you around foster care youth transportation. Can you give us an update on where that conversation is or are you still having that conversation? >> Um, I'm going to turn it over to Kevin Moran as well. >> Good morning, Mr. Moran. >> Good morning, uh, Kevin Moran. Uh, and thank you, chair, for your advocacy in this space. It's so greatly appreciated. We've been spending a lot of time talking with ACS about more responsive uh, transportation options for all our students, spec specifically students housing, and those in foster care. One of the things we found of of great success was our ride share program in terms of meeting the immediacy of transportation. And so that you'll see somewhere in the budget increase from $12 million upwards of $22 million. So that service is uh very much appreciated by families uh and foster as well. We've been sharing that data with ACS so could to inform uh potentially future procurement on their side to help with the immediiacy of transportation. Um, we do think we'll be reducing routing times in the future drastically, but as an interimm step, we'll continue to meet with ACS. We've given them all the data to do some modeling. So, we'll come back on a more uh wholesome response. >> Okay. We can definitely talk about that. Absolutely. Um, DC 40, nice to see you. Um, thank you so much. I I just want to emphasize about the Ames program in in my district that we opened. Y >> I mean, it's a game changer. And you came to the grand opening and you saw parents were crying. a four-year-old had to get on the bus at 6 am to in order to get the services where we're keeping the services in the community. Thank you to you and your team and we're opening that building on the weekends for seed program. I mean, come on. So, of course, you know how I am. I'm a teacher. I do the glow. I do the grows and I do the glows. Is it a perfect system? No. But is there room for improvement? Absolutely. With the right investments. and we've been making the right investment from the last budget and in this budget baselining a lot of the services that our students need. So my question is around prek special education weight list. In previous school years, we've seen long wait list for pres prek special education students for classes and services. There have been tremendous efforts to address the issue with $55 million restored and baseline in fiscal 2026 for additional classes. another $70 million restored in baseline in this plan for additional services. How many students are currently receiving all of their mandated services? How many students in ECE students are currently waiting for one or more of their mandated services to begin? How many of the ECE students are enrolled in special education classes? And how many students are on a wait list for a classroom? >> Okay. Uh thank you chair. So I just in my previous answer I should have pointed out to that based on the original these investments we have already increased the number of evaluations provided by 600 cases this school year. So pretty remarkable um in terms of uh students waiting placement um I'm sorry let me first give you uh we have 62.9% of preschool students receiving all of their related services. Again we do expect to see increases as we continue to hire in the upcoming year. Nonetheless, it is currently at 62.9%. 12.7 receiving some of their services, 24.4 receiving none, 50.7% receiving see it services. We recognize that this is uh we we agree that this is this is far from 100% and as we receive those additional supports, we will uh can ensure you that that uh children will be assigned and will receive their mandated services. Um in terms of uh seats um we have sorry chair did you mean the through the investment? I apologize. Okay. Thank you. We opened 1082 82 seats via the most um recent investment making sure that every student with a disability in preschool was able to start school on time. >> Thank you. >> Can I I'm so sorry. Can I just add uh council member just to piggyback >> and just to add I I believe we have about 100 to 150 students currently waiting for either a special class or integrated setting. Uh DC FOD and my team were working in real time to identify classes we can open even this year >> and then anticipating need for the upcoming school year. So that work is happening. >> So that timeline that's the timeline from now to the school year. any child being placed in between as the school year even if it were in the middle of the school year. >> So, we're doing it on a rolling ba basis. So, when we and where we can identify classrooms to be opened, we are opening those classrooms and then enrolling children. Sorry, I didn't mean for you to run out of time. Um, so yes, happening in real time. >> Okay, thank you so much. Immigrant family outreach engagement, student success centers, community schools. I can go on. And why we're not baselining mental health continuum and what happened to learn to work? It wasn't in the preliminary budget. >> Okay. So, >> I know. Fired. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, re really quickly in terms of our immigration immigrant outreach, um, as an immigrant myself, this is, uh, I'm very committed to making sure that our students um, who are new to the country and immigrants in general are protected. Our principles know exactly what to do if non-local law enforcement show up. Um, Flav, I'm going to ask you to address some some more of that. Yeah, absolutely. Um, so for the funding um that council provided um to support immigrant outreach the uh it has been leveraged to hire CVO community based organizations that are directly connected to families to make sure that they are aware um of both the the fact that we speak their language, the 12 languages that we have resources available. We also have um enhanced our technology through the Hello app to make sure that right then and there um we can translate for family. This has also allow uh to provide direct interpretation services at school. Um and I know you also had I don't know if it was a specific question about community school as well. >> Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about community schools where we are how many we have? Do any providers have to be paid or >> Okay. So um community schools we are at 419 community schools across the city um in all barrows pretty much you have representation in community schools um across most districts. Um we have done um thank you to council and and also thank you to our leadership support have really um double down on our efforts to support contracts registration and payment for community school as I had testified here previously. One of the biggest challenges was that community school double in number but we had the same or like two people less supporting contract and supporting procurement and everything else. So you can expect the same you couldn't expect the same quality of level um of support. As of today um the 269 um CTLE contracts for community schools that expire in FY25 have all been successfully registered and renew. Uh we also are working to close out the few uh remaining remaining amendments. Um and the controllers's office is is always on point when those uh amendments are in for registration. Usually the timeline is is expedited. Um so far this year we have put in the hands of our providers um around 52.5 million dollars in payments. We took full advantage also the fact that we could do advances to make sure that we could pay our providers um in time. And I think the piece that I'm most excited about too is as we know community school is going um into 10year anniversary of the work and what we have seen is that across the board um community school graduation rates when compared to citywide uh were higher. We could see that even after the pandemic when chronic absentee is an increase that rate didn't increase at the same rate in community schools. We could also see that ELA and math proficiency when comparing community school to non-comm community school community school saw higher increases. So when we talked about contract when we talk about accountability not only are we improving our services and the alignment to those to the chancellor's priority but we can actually say with numbers that this work is creating an impact on our students and our families. >> Yeah. And so finally you asked about uh learning to work. Um learning to work is one of the critical um areas we look at when it comes to overage and auto serving uh those students. Um we continue to have ongoing conversations with OM about with respect to the funding needed for uh FY 2027. Um and in the outears I wanted to um give uh uh Jane a chance to address anything else there when it comes to um learning to work. Good morning everyone. Jane Martinez Dalling. Um well, first of all, we just want to start by recognizing that learning to work has been a cornerstone of support for overage, underredited, vulnerable students for many years. And we're deeply grateful to our school leaders, our educators, and our community-based partners. and many of you up here who have really helped us uh with the commitment and the care to our student success. At its core, uh LTW is about ensuring that students have the relationships experiences and opportunities that they need to graduate with a strong plan and a path forward to long-term economic security. LTW is grounded in a youth development framework centered on strong relationships, trusts, and bu and meeting students where they are. The program funds contracts with community- based organizations and those CBOs place additional staff and schools to work alongside school leadership and staff to deliver advising, work-based learning opportunities and post-secary planning supports as uh learning to work falls under the office of student pathways. Um, we currently serve 9,000 students in transfer schools and several thousand students across YABC's, including both full-time evening students and shared instruction students who attend YABC part-time. The central message on this RFP is that it's going to be a modernization of the program, not a departure from its core values. The relationshipbased foundation remains. What is changing is the effort to ensure that these relationships are supported by stronger systems, clearer expectations, and more consistent student experiences across sites, which align very much with the chancellor's priorities. This redesigned RFP also expands access to LTW, including additional transfer schools and new charter transfer schools, allowing more students citywide to benefit from these supports. >> Thank you so much. Thank you, Council Member Joseph. Next we have count majority whip Hanks. And we've also been joined by Chair Gutierrez on Zoom. >> Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Chancellor, and everyone else. Everybody okay over there? Okay. And thank you for everyone joining us today. Um, I want to start by talking about holding harmless. Typically, a school's budget is tied to the enrollment and additional weights based on population through the fair student funding formula. During the CO 19 pandemic, the city began holding schools harmless to any enrollment changes compared to their original projected enrollment. Therefore, projected budget for the year. Originally, this process helped students during the pandemic um where any cuts to schools would be detrimental. um enrollment at uh at public schools continue to decline with 22,000 less students in our school system this year. So my questions are does the DOE plan to add an additional hold schools harmless allocation for the for the schools in the upcoming school year? What is the projected cost of holding schools harmless next year? And what discussions has the DOE and the administration had about mid-year adjustments and holding schools harm harmless after the October 31st enrollment registers. >> Uh thanks so much for the question for something that's really uh important to the city. When we think about declining enrollment, we see the impact of that across our schools and specifically many of our schools who serve uh the most vulnerable populations. And so we ought to be looking at ways going forward for making sure those schools are are are sustainable and um and can can withstand the impact of uh declining enrollment. When it comes specifically to hold harmless, we are having conversations um with OM about uh v various issues including hold harmless and um Serita I want to turn. >> Sure. Um so just to answer your question around projections so there are no projections at this time to share um a lot of the data that goes into for inform the policy but most importantly to inform um initial school budgets are not finalized until later in the spring. So later this spring we'll we will have a a a real number of the projected cost. >> Yes. >> Um okay chair. Thanks. So then we're going to pop over to class size and mandate and staffing challenges as it relates to um my burrow. In FY2027, the plan includes six million to support class size getting getting us really to the meeting the 80% compliance under the law. And despite this investment, uh, district 31, Staten Island is only at 58% compliance. And this reflects not only the gaps, but also the fac um the the facility constraints and teacher shortages, particularly in specialized subjects like science and world languages. And so, you know, critically, while the funding anticipates hiring 6,000 uh new teachers, the DOE is not aligned in headcount budgeting, raising concerns with implementation feasibility and transparency. So for me, uh, while meaningful progress is made and while we're doing what we can on class size and and compliance with goals, district 31 is still 50% um classrooms is about 15 50% classroom size compliance, which is significantly below the 80% classroom compliance despite citywide progress. Is there any plan to shorten this gap? Yeah, thank you so much for that question. And um the class size issue around the city is something that is very very important to us as we move towards the um the comp compliance towards that law. Number one, um we look at we have our principles uh fill out a survey about their space needs as well as their staffing needs and we try to u match those as much as possible. Now, um there's significant like you've pointed out significant uh issues or concerns regarding our pipeline and that's our teacher pipeline and that's where we find that um specifically for high schools and other um license areas very difficult to sometimes meet those those needs. And so we've made significant investment. We've investments. We've hired more teachers. Uh we hired more teachers last year than ever before. Uh 3700 just for just new teachers. And we have um plans to expand that amount in the upcoming year. And I want to specifically around teacher recruitment and and and getting teachers. I want to uh invite Amy Wei um from DHR to speak to that a little bit. Please turn your mic on and state your name for the record. Thank you. >> Good morning, Amy Weey. Thank you so much for this question. Having a talent pipeline to support all the programs that we've been talking about and particularly for the class size is really essential. Um we have been um investing in different pathway programs specifically to address the shortages in our special education and math and science which have been a challenge for us even before the class size reduction. So this is a place where we're able to attract um new talent into the system. I can say for district 31, we have been partnering with um the Empire State Teacher Residency, which is a way to support grow your own talent within um within a district. And so that's been a great partnership with um the College of Staten Island and and Wagner in your community in particular. So, we've um you know, we have we recognize that there are challenges with these shortage areas, but we have plans in place to be able to build out that pipeline over time. >> Thank you. And specifically to address some of the space concerns on Staten Island, I want to um bring Aaron back because we have been looking district by district across our city uh very closely with our partners both at SCA and with our union partners soon. And so I wanted to uh invite uh Erin to address some of that. >> Great. >> Yes. So as I had shared before, well first thank you for the question um Erin Jan if I need to reintroduce myself. Um I thank you for this question. This is something that we recognize as the next phase of the work is critically important. I I do want to point out there was a huge amount of investment in Staten Island in terms of teachers last year and we saw market growth particularly in the schools that we provided funding through the schools up model. Um and Staten Island was at 31% in the prior year. So there was pretty significant gains and I think you know we've heard from principles and um teams down there that the schools have just made tremendous progress. With regard to the space, again, we have um we're we're continuing our work with school construction authority, but deepening that partnership and being a lot more intentional in our approach. Um we've met and again, as chancellor shared, we've gone through every school um that has a space need, many of which that are in um Staten Island. We're looking to blend um how we're looking at non- capital and capital strategies to be as efficient as possible. um and and work with great urgency around this. We utilize results from the principal survey um where principal specifically requested us to to consider them for annexes or look at room conversions in their school. That information was driven um drove a lot of the conversations that we're having with SEA as well. >> So I'm going to stick around and we'll talk about the school construction authority piece and so I'll be back for that. But thank you for your um your answer. >> Thank you, Majority Ws. Thank you. I'll now turn it over to Council Member Wrestler. >> Thank you so much, Chair Dinoitz and Chancellor and team. Good to see you all. Congratulations to all of the new folks in your or reappointed new whatever um official roles you're all in. Congrats. Um and chair, thank you for leading this thoughtful hearing. I think it's really been productive. Uh, I just want to follow up on the um on the whip's questions and the chair asked about this a little bit as well on hold harmless. As chancellor, you may recall this was the issue that uh uh torpedoed the relationship between our previous mayor and our previous speaker. Um and I hope that we don't have similar problems uh in this budget. Uh I I my understanding is that the hold harmless funds are not generally incorporated at prelim. So, we're not surprised that they're not there today, but we are concerned um you know, recognizing we are seeing shifts in enrollments in our schools and there's comes a time where we're going to have to reflect that um in our in our budgets. The average hold harmless funding, if I understand it right, and and uh Miss Scott, please correct me, is about $280,000 per school. And so just want to understand are conversations happening now uh around gradually shifting funding for hold harmless amounts. Are we expecting to see full reductions in hold harmless funding? I've got a great public school PS261 that receives $66,000 a year that they depend on critically want to make sure that they're supported. it would be these could be major um major challenges for the schools to face if they see a significant reduction in their funding in their uh budgets in June. Can you give us some insight into how you're approaching this issue? Yeah. First of all, um thank you for raising the question and um also Council Member Wrestler, uh thank you for what sounds like an acknowledgment of a thoughtful wrestling with the idea. Nobody wants to think about um removing uh funds, if you will, from a school. And so that's so I I I respect that. That's like a really thoughtful approach. Um certainly in in internally within DOE, uh whole harmless is a conversation that happens every single year. Um and so we're continuing to have the conversation. >> Um I think the chancellor said it best. Everything that you just outlined are all a part of the conversations that we're having. No final decisions yet, so nothing to obviously share with you. But we are definitely being thoughtful in um our approach and the way in which we're thinking about hold harmless as we do every year. >> Yeah. I just to be clear, this issue is so important. It has impacted how council members vote on the budget. So there are not many individual issues that we will discuss at any of these hearings that impact our collective vote on the entire $127 billion budget. That's how important this is. So, I really want to make sure we're not in a situation where we're seeing school budgets a day before the vote and getting an understanding of where our schools are that's informing whether we need to vote no on a budget because our schools are getting screwed. We can't let that happen. So, it's really important. We're only in March. We've got three months to have direct dialogue and real conversations with the chair wherever he went. Um, thank you minority. Thank you, Whip, for filling in, but I'm pointing at him somewhere in the ether. Um, and the speaker and all of us because it's that important. So, I just really want to make sure this dialogue is in place. we're not getting surprised by school budgets at the last second that we're working and talking together about a thoughtful plan um to to solve for this issue. >> I appreciate that and we'll engage on that as at some point. >> Okay. I appreciate it. I will I will hold you to that, Chancellor. Um I want to ask about a bunch of different issues, but I got 122 and I imagine that my friend from Staten Island's going to start screaming at me. So, I'll go to school bus contracts. Um you know, the PEP didn't approve. Nice to see you, Kevin. Congratulations. Um, Deputy Chancellor, sorry. Um, uh, uh, the the PEP last year, in their wisdom, uh, did not approve the five-year extension. Uh, they only gave a three-year extension. It was retroactive. So, we're already basically two years out from the end of these school bus contracts. My understanding is that you're looking for legislation out of Albany that Senator Jackson and Assembly Member uh, Udel Katapia have sponsored before kind of deciding on how exactly you're going to proceed. But I want to make sure that we're not boxed in to having to continue with the corrupt school bus landscape that has uh harmed our school bus transportation system for decades. Um and want to make sure that we're planning now for for a better school bus uh system moving forward. Can you give us some insight into how we're looking ahead? It will take years of planning. Um are we starting that process now? Could Thank you. >> Yeah. Uh first of all, I think we're on the same page. Um we agree that any kind of uh thoughts around what we need to do with our bus contract should begin now and the planning should begin now. And we're we're in that process certainly within DOE. And >> I'll say, you know, um we bust 150,000 kids uh 9,000 rooms daily. and um it and we have a lot of room for improvement and we're we we've already started some of that and I just want I'll turn it over to um Deputy Chancellor Moran to talk us through a little bit more. >> Thank you very much. Um so the desire to improve school bus transportation uh is ever present. Uh it was my first briefing with the chancellor and this administration. It is top of mind. We will continue to stay in touch with families, CEC's, our CPAC, our CCSE as informed partners, those who experience the system, our school principles, and our transportation coordinators locally. It's important we get this right. Uh to your point on timing, here we are looking at like two years away. Uh we're looking at June 30th, 2028. So, we've galvanized a a really good team here at New York City Public Schools to focus on this issue. Um and we'll be sharing new and exciting updates soon. But I would say our moderniz modernization efforts continue. Uh schools will be uh school bus companies rather will have scorecards that will actually have transparency and accountability embedded in that and schools now can see wrership tracking when a student gets on the bus. We're introducing that pilot this spring. And also we're cutting over on our modernization to a new routing system this fall. So, we know and acknowledge there needs to be, to the chancellor's point, improvements and quickly. Uh, we also know we need a longerterm strategy and look forward to coming back and working with you on that. >> I really appreciate it. I would love for us to be engaging together with stakeholders, council, and uh, and the DOE on how we can envision a better school bus transportation system. You know, we're working on legislation that I'm hoping to introduce in the next few weeks to improve public sharing of data on on time uh, school buses. uh on-time performance, better identify problematic vendors, give us make clear the data so that you all can throw the book at bad vendors that are failing to do their job and failing to deliver for our kids and families. >> Thank you so much, Council Member. >> I'm going to go for round two. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Next, we have Council Member Banks. >> Thank you, Chair. Uh first of all, congratulations again, Chancellor. Uh and uh you know, my questions are always going to be hyper local uh when it comes to uh the Thomas Jefferson High School. We're going to, I guess, revisit the uh YABC uh issue. When it comes to Tom Shepson High School, which has helped about 1,800 students complete high school uh through the YABC program, Jeff has been taking or left off the RFP as a potential site. uh what changed and uh why was the site removed and has the DOE uh thought about the potential impact uh of this decision, especially the potential of an increased dropout risk uh when students uh may now have to commute uh 2 hours round trip sometimes longer just to finish high school. And uh the RFP deadline is also we believe it's also set for uh April 29th. Uh for a community like the 42nd Council District that has uh relied on this partnership with Mega Evers College for years. Uh where were any impact studies done or conversations uh held prior to this decision uh with the school leadership or students before making this decision? And um and finally, >> okay, >> I want to get this out. Uh will the DOE reconsider removing this program from um Thomas Jefferson High School? Uh because losing it uh would be a real setback to our community and this program provides access uh and opportunity and and something our students really need. >> First of all, thank you for your question and thank you for your support of uh Jefferson and it was good to be there with you. couple weeks ago. I really appreciated the time I spent there and the questions that uh the folks from the community had. And so I'm going to turn it over to Jane um to speak a little bit more specifically about uh the program you're you're referring to. >> Jane Martinez Dowling, nice to see you. >> Pleasure. >> Um can you hear me? >> I can hear you loudly. >> So a couple of things. Um we uh there were actually five sites that we um thought to consolidate uh as we kind of thought about the YABC programs and the attendance that we had had and those that we had to remain fully staffed with YO personnel including assistant principles, teachers and counselors. So just to make this clear, students are going to continue to receive core advising, credit accumulation support, post-secary planning, and college and career advising through SAM funding. So the students who are at at Jefferson will continue to receive that. >> No, but the question is it's being removed from Thomas Jefferson. Um the students will have to travel to Benhurst. students from East New York and Brownsville would have to travel to Bensonhurst. That makes no sense. >> Uh so let me clarify again. If students want to receive the work-based learning opportunities and the sort of modernized thing that we're doing with YABC's, it won't be at Thomas Jefferson High School. >> Where would it be at? >> But there will be it will still be a transfer high school available. Where would the location be now for the students that are that are enrolled in the program or enrolled at the center at Thomas Jefferson High School? >> They are able to go to another center in the burrow. So, it's a >> Where's the location at ma'am? In the burrow. I need to know the location cuz what is being said to us is that they have to travel all the way to Benson her which is two hours away. >> Uh that is >> and >> not incorrect. >> So, what is correct? What is correct is that it's a youth burrow program. Right. >> I need you to answer my question. Where is this new program going to be that the students from Eastern York and Brownsville will not have to travel 2 hours away? >> So they will the students who choose not to do the learning to work program >> is it Bensonhurst and Coney Island? they would go to Coney Island if they decide not to continue at Thomas Jefferson's transfer school. >> Has an impact study been done as to uh how this may impact those students? >> Yes. So, you had asked about how we socialize the information. We had over 30 meetings over the past 18 months with principles, school leaders, the YABC programs themselves, our CBOS. Um, and we have had additional meetings since December. Uh, we c we very recently had to answer your specific question about Thomas Jefferson had a meeting with Assembly Member um Lucas and we are going to be meeting with her again because we're considering putting it into the amendment. So, we are considering it what you're asking about. >> Well, we we definitely hope that you reconsider. >> Thank you, council member. I'm going to move on. >> Reconsidering that the students have the opportunity to have the program there. Thank you. Thank you so much, Council Member Council Member Brewer. >> Thank you very much. And I want to thank you for Civics for All because it's fabulous. I live with people who uh do go to learning to work and they social workers there are phenomenal. So, I'd hate to lose that program. It's excellent. So, one of the questions I have is just on math. As a former math teacher, are you putting extra dollars into trying to find more math teachers? Are you looking at other ways to increase the math instruction? because you do talk about the need to have extremely good academics. Math is part of that. >> Yes. Thank you, Council Member Brew Brewer, for that question. Um, all right. So, absolutely, when we think about New York City solves um we are very clear that um we need our young people to be more engaged in conceptual understanding in math, sense making and um fluency and automaticity. And in order to do that, uh, we've started in the last couple of years with high schools and middle schools thinking about this work. But the expansion that has to happen is the expansion to elementary school. our elementary school teachers really need to be able to get really strong professional learning in um in math content and conceptual understanding in math because there is a lot of fear in our neighborhoods and our communities about math and and as I as I've been saying a lot it's it's no longer okay for us to be telling our kids that we're not math people or they're not math people. Um, we all need to be math people and we all are, otherwise people shouldn't go shopping. So, I'll say that um I'll I'll I'll invite uh Amy Amy way back to talk a little bit about our recruitment, but a lot of our thinking around this G um centers around our work with our new New York City fellows program, which you know is the part of the reason I became a teacher. And so we're we're we're expanding a lot of work with that. We've seen increased I I want to claim responsibility because uh we've seen an increase significant increase in the number of um applicants that we've had into our New York City Fellows program, but >> Okay, I'm ready. >> I don't have much time. So go ahead. >> Oh, sorry. >> Okay. Um well, I'll share the big reveal on the numbers of applications. So we've had over 5400 applicants to the teaching fellows program which is a 44% increase over last year. >> How many of them teach math though? So within math we have a cohort I will I can get you the percentage but that is a strong focus that and special education and science are the primary areas for the teaching fellows program and um in addition to the work we're doing with the teaching fellows program we have work with um traditional higher education where we recruit other staff and we're focused on aligning our student teaching and fieldwork experiences so that our teachers in training can have exposure to the practices that the chancellor spoke about in mathematics and in literacy. >> So I I kind of understand what you're saying a little bit gobbly, but I would say that you're you're working to get more math teachers, but I would say you have to do some marketing outreach. Yes. >> I would take people who don't have the credentials and then get them the credentials. But are you doing that? >> Yes. >> The Tony Alvarado way like how we used to do. Go ahead. >> Yep. So the teaching fellows program >> been around for a long time. Go ahead. >> Teaching fellows program does directly that attract people who have maybe a major related major. We also have a teach where you belong campaign that launched on social media. >> Okay. So you'll give us at some point how many have been recruited. That's right. >> Next year right specifically art teachers. So the my understanding is that students in the eighth grade are not necessarily meeting their requirements in terms of arts education. So, how many schools do not have a full-time or part-time certified arts teacher? What are you doing about it? Um, where are students not meeting their statemanded level of arts instruction? How will you or will you update the blueprint, which I love that was some time ago. And then, um, how many what's the percentage or number students enrolled in arts education? I'm a huge supporter of arts education. >> Yes. Uh, Gail and I know that. Well, uh, we >> Yes, you do. We've hosted many of programs with as with with CBOS um at Lincoln Center and so on. So, thank you for your constant support in this area. I'm going to turn it over to Deputy Chance. First, Deputy Chancellor Juna to talk a little bit more about our arts work. >> Good morning, Danielle Jenta. Um, so in passionate agreement with you, every child in New York City public schools deserves equitable access to an incredible arts offering. Um, to some of your questions, we have 99% of all of our students are receiving arts instruction and support, some through certified arts teachers, and some through uh great organization partnerships, as you know, and our cultural organizations, grant-f funded initiatives, and then district provided arts programming. Um, for recruitment, uh, we received about 391 applications from teachers in the arts, um, uh, last year. I don't know if Miss Weey has an updated number, but, um, we're we're keeping an eye on that as well. >> Okay, because my information here is 31% of eighth graders don't meet the learning requirement. And then what about the blueprint? >> So, with with regards to that, so you know, 8.4% of schools serving seven 12, right? do not have a certified art teacher and that's um part of of what we're talking about in terms of you know using CBOS and so on to to really try to um uh fill that gap and the blueprint conversation I think we we we can get back to you on that. I'm not sure. >> Okay. I wanted just quickly one more thing um if I could ask because the chancellor talked a lot so I lost some time. So I want to know about G&T because you didn't mention it. >> Okay. I love G&T. Not everybody does. And secondly, how many more 1972 Broadways are there? And how much rent are they paying? And are they vacant? >> All right. So, I'm about to turn over or turn over that conversation to um the the conversation about 1972 Broadway. Just to give some context, there are some buildings which included 1972 Broadway at one point that were prek buildings that were empty. And um Gail and I when I as a superintendent work to make sure that that building is now occupied. The the conversation on G&T is something that's uh very important to many of our families across the city. I am super committed to making sure that our families have access to um accelerated opportunities in schools. We'll have we'll be launching um soon enough uh in the upcoming u weeks and months an engagement conversation around specifically regarding G&T starting with schools like the Anderson schools and others um around the city. >> I would like to be part of that conversation. >> Yes, you will be Gail. I promise. >> What about my 1972s? >> Yeah, >> council member looked directly at me for that answer. Yes, I did. >> Um we have >> Lincoln Lincoln has a 1972 also. >> There there are 27 1972s. And for folks um who may not know what that means, they're city-owned or leaseed buildings that are currently unoccupied. 1060 Flatbush was once 1070. Thank you. Thank you. Was once um a 1972 and it is now has an Ames program. Okay. And so, as you know, council member, that number was once 40. It is now down to 27. And so, we are getting that number down as we continue to get additional resources and investment. >> Okay. But those are all paying rent, I assume. >> Not all. Some of them are owned by the city. >> Okay. Can you get us the amount that is uh dollar rents it is being paid? >> So we have to confirm that with SCA. We do have some limitations in sharing lease costs and terms because it can impede negotiations with the landlords, but we will confirm that. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Brewer. Council member Narcissis. >> Um thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity. And I want to say congratulation again, Mr. Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor as we're talking about enrollment slot configuration. I hope that my zip code, some of the zip code that I have is in need for that dying need. Um, so many questions that I have, but I'm going to keep it tight for you and try to answer it as much because the time is not on my side. the the state's new temperature law, which took effect September 2025, now prohibits occupancy above 88 Fahrenheit and requires that mitigation at 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Uh, DOE is therefore out of compliance in their own building. How many school currently have no safe alternative space for students when common areas are overheated and that specific capital investment plans are there to finally bring the gyms, cafeterias and the clinics into compliance? >> Yeah, thank you for that question. We have over the last number of years had significant investment in AC's through our schools and um and and also through the help of so many of you on a council um significant investment in reso grants for common areas. Uh but if uh Kevin I don't know if you want to add anything else. >> Yes, very much planned to be in compliance with the the state law here. Our schools are equipped uh our custodians are equipped with several mechanisms to measure indoor room temperatures. I would say we benefited greatly from the AC for all initiative that ensured air conditioning and electricity was brought to each and every single classroom over 69,000 classrooms. >> Thank you for the classroom. I'm specifically talking about the common areas cafeterias gym because I have many of them in my district right now when I go in the summertime they are heated badly. Yeah, they need to be fixed. >> And in part why I was bringing up the classrooms is because you have some 69,000 classrooms where where we would bring kids for breakfast or lunch if we had to in agregious heatwave or we could do move to improve and do exercise within said classrooms. So part of our contingency plan is like if you cannot use the said gymnasium or said can you use a classroom? So we do have classroom other spaces. We're well over 50% in compliance with public assemblies. We do require infrastructure development and significant capital investments in those classrooms. gymnasiums and I thank all the >> I appreciate it. Let's say specifics. I have a few question. You cannot play basketball in the in the classroom. Um you cannot have a play in the classroom. Um given the federal uncertainty around um title one and other education um funding streams, what happens to school that rely on federal dollars to purchase textbooks and classroom supplies if those funds are cut or frozen? >> Yeah, thank you for uh thank you for the question. And I think you know all of us are concerned with um our schools and their funding and that's why it's it's great that the vast majority of the funds that comes to NYC public schools actually end up directly in our schools and specifically in thinking about what we um what what what happens in terms of title one. I um Serita you want to add anything there? >> Yep. Um, so just wanted to add like we're very well aware of all of the uncertainty that's happening at the federal level and so any reduction in our federal funding would be disastrous, especially since it actually supports some of our most vulnerable students. Um, I think it would definitely initiate conversations with both our local and state partners to ensure that we are maintaining those critical resources to our schools. >> Okay, for the PAR professional, we're talking about recruitment and retention. you can recruit but if you're not paying you cannot retain. Um now we have so many classes so many classroom that need support and they according to the teachers they're not getting the support power professionals we know they very essential with um IEPs receiving their mandated services what is the current vacancy rate for the par profofessionals citywide I think you say about 1300 134 something so what compared to last I mean year before how many was because now I think it's 13 1300 something. >> Speaking to that issue a little bit, we have to also acknowledge like um our my my uh cabinet pointed out earlier, there's a structural uh impediment that creates even a greater need for par profofessionals. And so we applaud and we're we we appreciate your desire to push for increased pay the council. We thank you for that. Um but but in terms of specific uh specifically what what it was last year, I'm not sure we have that, but we can easily get that to you. >> Okay. Thank you. How many schools, if any, currently lack a full-time dedicated school nurse? >> Um yeah, Kevin, do you have thoughts on that? >> Every school has access and any student has access to health services for any student enrolled at the school. >> Okay, I appreciate it. um for the EI I mean IEP. Thank you so much for this young lady that kind of put it out for me. I always wonder about E EIP program and you give it to me. Um the cap we're talking about I am so not with it because we spending a lot of money while New York City actually our DOE can get the job done without going to private. What are we doing actually to reach the level that we can be advocate with you and encourage back to make sure the children are in DOE and we're not being uh Pennywise dollar foolish. >> Um well first of all thank you for calling me young lady on be sharing >> I don't know the name you all >> my son uh is Vladic. Thank you. Um so as young as the least informed person at this table about >> um pedagogy in particular, I think the the real partnership we need is to understand the quality >> of programming is to understand what it actually takes for a student with disabilities to succeed. You know, I think DC FOD could not be more clear how well she and her teams understand that. And the distinction that I've been drawing is that we don't see that same kind of information, transparency, um, you know, grades, test results, when for all of the money that's going outside of our system. So, I think that's where we really need some help is is to see more public interest in what's actually happening with all those dollars that are that are going out the door. Because remember while I you know while we have a total of this year I think we'll be in somewhere around 16,000 cases um each case is assessed individually by a hearing officer who isn't concerned about what's going on at that particular school or what could we be do they don't see the bigger picture. So we need help with that bigger picture assessment and setting public expectations for what our dollars should pay for. Yeah, because I have a case right now in my office that coming back and forth and it's a simple thing. The recommendation was done by the therapist by everyone that assess the child for to have a phone to use the phone because that ease her up in the classroom and we did not do that and that probably costing you over probably you say 144,000 I don't know. So now we're gonna have to do better with that. So I see my chair give me a hand even though I'm excited whenever I'm in front of DOE. So thank you so much for all your work. I appreciate your time. >> If I if I may, council member, we would love to follow up. We we use those when people raise up, oh, I have a particular case. We really like to get in and see what's going on so we know, oh, did something just go wrong here or is there actually something that we need to fix? If you wouldn't mind reaching out, we'd like to follow up. >> I'm ready to work with you. I love my children in New York City. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Narcissis. It seems very clear we on this committee care a lot about our kids with disabilities, kids with IEPs. We are also interested in making sure we have the investments to make sure that our public system can and does provide the services to our kids who who need them. I think we're all in agreement there and we'd like to see the investments made. Um, turning it over to Council Member Wong. >> Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Chancellor and members of panel for coming today. Um um before I get to my uh district questions, I just want to uh uh talk about my experience in attending PEP meetings. Uh because I serve on the school board CEC24 and after that I serve as budget director of the former Councilman Robert Holden. I attended a lot of PEP meetings and quite often they talk about contracts. uh they vote on contracts, but one thing I noticed that there's no mentioning of how many students it impacts. We have contracts may impact a few hundred and then there are contracts a thousand and there may be contracts that affect a 100,000. Is this something you you want to consider including that and voting on contracts because uh I if I don't know I'm sure to the to the parents a lot of them would be clueless but they're very concerned about these issues. Can you can you address that? >> Yeah, thank you so much for the question and I think you know when we thinking about what the PEP wants to look at and when we're thinking about contracts, people do want to know what the impact is and I think that's something we can look into and talk and and take back and and consider. >> Okay. Thank you. Yes. Okay. I'm going to move forward to uh my district questions. Uh my my district 30 includes some of the most engaged public school families in Queens. families in Elmherst, Massith, Middle Village, Richwood, Glendale, and Rico Park. Families who also rely on parochial and non-public schools that are now facing closures and added pressure. I also represent PSIS-1 128 when the school community has serious concerns about a proposed lithium ion battery facility being built directly across from the school. In a situation like this, the department cannot sit on the sidelines. We need to know where DOE stands and what it is doing to protect that school community. At the same time, we're heading into a FY27 budget with real fiscal pressure. If we are asking schools and families to do more with less, we need to start by looking inward. We cannot keep expanding central bureaucracy while classroom feels the squeeze. So my first question is um PSIS-128. Has DOE conducted any safety assessments for PSIS-128 given the proposed facility that's across the street and is right next to the annex of the school? >> Yeah, thank you. And you know, whenever things arise close to our schools, they're certainly of concern to us. And so I'm going to turn it over to Kevin uh Moran to see if there's anything that we've thought of there. Yes, thank you for the question and understand your concerns regarding battery storage. Uh this is an evolving technology and an evolving infrastructure in the city of New York and it's heavily regulated. We would defer to our department our partners at the department of buildings and department of health for a follow-up here. Uh certainly want to learn more about that actual location, but I have seen as many New Yorkers have seen these uh in so far as being close to gas stations and then causing concern. So I want to learn a little bit more about this specific uh issue and then come back to you. Okay. What is DOE's position on this facility? Do you have one? >> We're not the regulator of the facility, but we're going to follow up with our inter agency partners to come back to you. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, next. Last week in IS-93, there was a carbon monoxide incident in which uh I got updates from Speaker Julie Mannon's office and from the FDNY and from the superintendent's office, but there there seemed to be a conflict of stories where one message said students were evacuated, another said the students were in the cafeteria. Uh when did DOE first become aware of the issue and was there a full evacuation? Yeah, each school has a building response team and the principal uh is a part of that. We notify first responders of any incident like this. Um FDNY does come to the building and recommends evacuation or not. They also give us the all clear. In that specific case, students were relocated and students were allowed back in the building after it was given the all clear. If you want a timeline of the the notification from the superintendent and the FDNY, I can provide that. >> Yes, please do. Absolutely. Please do. >> And usually uh the the BRT, the building response team is they have a notetaker that actually should outline a time. Okay. Thank you. >> Parents call our office first when they heard about it and then we we gave them conflicting answers and we we we couldn't explain the inconsistencies. Thank you. Um the next um I talk to principles and I hear from them consistently that in my district that decisions are still being driven from tweet and not from the school level. Do you agree that DOE is still operating as a top- down system? Chancellor. >> Well, first of all, thank you for that question. And there are times, one of the things that I think is a is a is a challenge for any chancellor and certainly something I'm thinking about is at what point uh points are we a system of schools? That means individual schools have the autonomy that to to be able to do uh the things that uh they see fit. And at what points are we a school system? And that means that there ought to be some uh citywide things that we believe um are baselines that we need at every single school. And so one uh example is New York City reads where we're saying look we need and we believe that uh all of our young people should have access to um grade level content and we should be clear about the interventions that we're doing when our young people are off track. And so that um I I I make no apologies for that. I think that should be a citywide conversation. And and there will be other times when certainly schools can add their own um uh topic or their own um flavor, if you will. Each district has its own flavor. Each school has its own uh unique concerns, but there are times and we want those times to be when they're high lever times. So, when we're when we're talking about what's our city's response to um students with disabilities, what's our city's response to um multilingual learners, those things are fine to be uh to be things that we stand on when we when when because we believe that they're that important. But then there are other things that certainly schools can have an individual response to. >> Okay. Thank you, Chancellor. >> Thank you, Counc. >> We're going to Yes. Well, I'll put you down for the next round. Council member one. >> Thank you so much. It's a little confusing, right? Wong and one. >> It's good to see you all. Thank you so much to Chair Denowitz. I want to go into my district numbers for the 2025 to 2029 capital plan. So, according to your report right now for district 30, there's 1,146 new total funded um sites in progress. Can you help me understand which schools this is referring to? Because for the one LIIC project and for previous land use development in Long Island City, we have had outstanding investments and I know that right now in the executive budget, my district is missing the Department of Education funding for $152 million outstanding for 5-46 46th Avenue, the middle school. That is long overdue. And then $367 million outstanding for two elementary schools that are badly needed because the amount of development that the district has taken in with the amount of weight lists for my children as well as um understanding how we have to adhere to the fair class sizes rule. So, can you help me understand one? Why is the 152 million plus 367 million missing in the executive budget though promised by the admin as well as supported by the current mayor who represented this district prior to becoming mayor and what the current budget is for for district 30 that you're accounting for. >> Yeah. >> So, trying to understand the difference. >> Okay. Um, I think Kevin or Erin, you have thought. >> My preference on this question in particular is to hold it to the SEA capital hearing. Um, they have the latest figures. We actually just met with them on this very topic uh on Wednesday. So, I'd prefer the SEA President uh Opine here. >> Okay. because I do speak closely with the president and her chief of staff and I want to make sure that the written promises are kept for my district because for the last 10 years for all the schools that were promised they were all delayed because we did not have proper funding. Um another question that I have is well I'll ask during the sea hearing as well but the BSGE uh high school so back school of global education iso is fully funded so I just want to make sure that that's confirmed on record and I also want to understand what is the plan going forward to also think about right sizing our schools or creating space for existing buildings for example PS11 in my district services mostly Queensbridge houses and Ravenswood houses residents. Yet they have been uh fighting back on the collocation of vocal chart of voice charter school and they've been asking for the school to be no longer co-located. So as we try to adhere to the fair class sizes rule, how are we also looking at spaces that are being forced to colllocate with charter schools to make space to adhere to this mandate? >> Yeah, that's a great question. And so something that we've uh over the last uh number of weeks and something that as I came into this role was really deeply thinking about which is how do we make uh fully use of our existing spaces um and so we've had uh significant conversations with our sea partners around this and um we're developing a a citywide uh utilization strategy that's actually going to address uh exactly what you're talking about um specifically for district 30. I don't know if you had anything to add there, Erin. >> Well, your specific question around collocation >> yep of charter schools being removed from public schools. >> That's right. So, currently we we follow the law, the charter law, which requires us to offer space or pay rental assistance. So, I understand your question. Uh there's no intention right now to remove colloccated schools um as a as a policy matter, but there may be school utilization proposals in the future that do contemplate that. Also, there could be uh contract vendors themselves or charters themselves that look for rental assistance. Something we would support. >> So, I want to make sure that it's on record that PS11 should be a standalone school to make sure that our children, especially of the lowest income, are being accounted for. And if we're going to adhere to fair class sizes rule, that means that we have to remove voice charter school from that school so that we don't have to build a whole new standalone building, but we should just relocate the charter and pay for their rent elsewhere. >> If you could keep an eye on that. >> Noted. >> We h we've also for the last four years have invested over hund00 million for our school upgrades for buildings that are over 100 years old that continue to be remain unspent. Can you help me understand why there is such a delay in capital funding being spent to maintain our schools for simple things like sensory gyms or wall dividers for the auditorium gymnatorium so that kids can play freely? What is the hold up? Because year to year I continue to be told by sea that we just have to wait and there's no clarity on why for four years it hasn't moved. >> I I could do this at the capital hearing or if it's I could do it now if it's helpful. Um, yep. Wait, do that. Okay. Uh, so there's an excellent question. Uh, at the heart of the matter was a broken system in our capital reimbursement program that essentially took all the resoa grants um and introduced a a we'll pay for it with tax levy first, reimburse at the end of the year later with capital dollars. What happened in that process was largely disallowances and problems with us losing money year-over-year. That process was since changed. I testified last year we had 700 some jobs in the backlog and roughly $50 million going into our new capital reimbursement system. We recently just crossed the $210 million capital threshold system. In that we have no disallowances. We have dollar for-doll projects going out the door. There are currently this is I was saving this for the capital hearing about 73 jobs left in our backlog. Um, and so what we're doing now, I could provide to you for the first time ever a full list of where every project is that you funded and this whether it's in scope, design, award, or what what phase in construction. Um, and it'll be member specific. So I could send that to each member and it goes back. Um, so you'll have a full allocation. I'll tell you this time next year we will not have a backlog. It'll be project for project. We'll make sure those critical investments happen. >> Thank you so much. Thank you, Council Member One. We're going to go on to round two. Council member Banks. >> Thank you. And I would be remiss again uh Chancellor for not thanking you and your team for coming to Thomas Jefferson High School. We appreciate that. Uh back to uh the uh young adult burrow centers. Uh just want to relay some of the uh concerns uh that was expressed to me by parents and um and some of the students. uh the unsafe he said it is unsafe for students who are overage and underredited uh trying to finish high school hours uh for the YABC uh from 400 p.m. to 10 p.m. to now have to travel uh far out of Brownsville in East New York to Benson Coney Island. Uh they said Southshore has a gang problem. Some students have gang issues. a Mega Evers school in Thomas Jeffson creates a safe corridor right on Pennsylvania for these students. Um, and you know, I just want to again just want to reiterate uh the the needs should have been an impact study done or conversation earlier on uh before we were removed from the RFP. Uh uh it to me it this is this this to me makes no sense. um that a district that has historically been left behind now to add insult onto injury and to continue uh to hurt these students by having them having them have to travel close to two hours into Bensonhurst and to uh Coney Island. Um I don't want to belabor that anymore, but I'm hoping that you seriously reconsider that and you uh uh stop this injustice from taking place to our students in the 42nd Council District. Now uh turning to uh pupil transportation and uh safety, student safety. Over the past two years, my office has uh received multiple complaints from parents about the serious transportation failures. Uh students being left on buses uh routes changing without notice and overcrowded buses where children including those with IEPs do not have proper seating and or accommodations. And in each in each of these cases, the students required additional support. What is uh DOE doing to address these failures, particularly for students who rely on these services the most? >> Yeah. Well, two things. I will be uh looking into the issue you raised before. I was a sup deputy superintendent in Brownsville. I recognize that, you know, Brownsville to Coney Island is is is far and and and so that that >> and East New York. >> Yeah. Right. Exactly. And so that's I can see that difficulty. And so we'll look uh into that issue. >> Um when it comes to pupil transportation, that's something that you know as a former principal superintendent in two district that was that was one of the things that was constant no matter where I worked in the city that there were there there was uh significant concern with people transportation. And I think over the last uh year year or so and and certainly recently we've been working on some modernization efforts that I think have um you know contributed positively to some of this work. So I'm going to turn over to uh Kevin Moran to talk a little bit more about that. >> Yeah, this is so vital uh for our students that rely on yellow school bus transportation. For the nine out of the 10 kids that do not get a yellow school bus, we also want to provide them opportunities like ferry discounts, omniards, four trips a day, 365. Also want to see how far we could expand that to the one in 10 kids who rely on yellow school bus. And the goal with yellow school bus services to improve each and every day. One of the things we did foundationally uh and this was basically at the proddding of the city council local law 32 33 and 34 was introduce a modernization effort one that parents can track and find data where they needed to be and actually hold people accountable. The first thing was the New York City school bus app. So I encourage everyone to go to Nixa, download that app. Now we'll be able to time what time they get on and what time they get off and the routes will be much more efficient going forward. But we do want to have other places for parents to file a complaint. So, we're going to try to have the app do that. We'll actually roll up all that in aggregate on the website so parents can see how each vendor is doing. We could then use corrective action to hold vendors accountable. Something quite frankly we haven't done a good job at. >> And that's that's what I want to horn in the on the accountability because there are parents that have the app but they're finding their child to be left in the uh the the the bus the um bus slot uh where the child should be home. I have had multiple situations and eradicated for parents who the child has been left on the bus um uh or been dropped off at a location that they shouldn't be dropped off at. And nowadays uh that just that that that that to me for most parents uh that's something obviously that is unacceptable. So, um, if we can, you know, see more reforms done there, uh, so we can put our student safety, uh, first. Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, chair. >> Thank you, Council Member Banks. Council member Hanks. >> Hanks Banks. Uh, thank you so much, chair. Um, I just have a few questions in your testimony. Chancellor, I was excited to hear the administration will be building on this council's investment in creating culturally respons responsive uh resources for black, latino, and hidden voices curriculum. I find that to be fantastic. Uh you said that you'd be launching a comprehensive professional learning plan to expand the use of materials in classrooms across the city. So I just wanted to understand a little bit more like what is that plan um to ensure that all schools across the city are going to be equitable and that and getting that information. Um how are they going to get informed and um how are we going to make sure that the resources are implemented seamlessly and impactful because you just said it was going to be seamlessly and impactfully uh implemented. So I want to know how that magic is going to happen. >> All right. Thank you so much for uh lifting this. Uh it's it's something that's uh really passionate I'm really passionate about. We uh as a superintendent I uh implemented the black studies curriculum and started the lat Latin Aad curriculum in my district. And I you know there's one thing though to make the curriculum available to everyone and resources available to everyone. There's a different It's a different thing to say, let's make sure our teachers with everything that they have going on understand how to seamlessly weave what the the work uh is into their lesson plan or else it won't be it won't be used as efficiently. And so we've seen significant interest in this from teachers. there's uh um a a a huge number of downloads of the black studies curriculum in particular a lot of um resources for his hidden voices. And so we have a three three different layers of providing professional learning. There will be professional learning provided by um the New York New York City social studies department. There will be um work that we're going to be doing with um partners such as facing history and others. And then there's also work that's already being prov uh done at this is the work from the city council's work with with Burke as as well as the Eco Foundation. And so you know I'm going to turn it over to deputy ch first deputy chancellor talk a little bit more about process and getting it get making sure that we try to get this as much as possible into classrooms. >> Thank you and thank you so much for your excitement. Um, when I was a superintendent, uh, one of my schools had a student equity team that presented me with a letter about making sure our libraries had books that were windows and mirrors. I'm sure you've heard that frame before. Um, and so I've been just so excited that the agency has built out the hidden voices curriculum, that your uh, support has allowed us to bring in the black studies and Latina curriculum. Um, and also that we've built text sets uh that are available digitally through our SOAR library to make sure that these culturally responsive books are in the hands of our students and their families um to really get at that CRSC. So now that we have HQIM through New York, the high quality instructional materials in our schools and we have these resources, we want to have a more intentional approach on how we um support our teachers in aligning those curriculum, not replacing HQIM, but really lifting up any gaps or making the CRSC approach more rich. So we're going to be thinking about this in different phases, piloting some um districts. We already have the black studies curriculum started in two pilot districts. It expanded across 18. There are 32,000 downloads of the curriculum. We have momentum over access and use. But what we need to your point to chancellor's point is that strategic coordinated um approach. And so some steps that we're taking is also thinking about how we do crosswalks uh where we show our teachers in this unit whether it's your ELA unit and we're preparing for all three curricular choices across the city or within passport um where you can use these units um and these resources integrated seamlessly. We'll start this in some small scale. We have a long-term plan to scale up from there and then make sure that we're touching every one of our schools. >> Thank you so much. I have one more question before my time runs out. Um so families in Sten Island often lack um access to 3K seats forcing long commutes. Uh we also did not get any uh 2K seats as a part of the administration's roll out. And is there a reason why you know that the roll that this roll out happened the way it did? And is there an opportunity to add 12 to 15k seats in Stuntton Island if we have a um a um a provider to do so? We can talk offline. Thank you, chair. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. Okay. >> You answer. >> No, no. So, uh just just real quickly, I think you know the the 2K piece is a first step. Um that's uh we're this is a part of a longer term strategy and certainly in the next go around we um Staten Island will be uh on the list and I want to make sure that um uh um Deputy Chancellor Hawkins if you had anything to add. >> Yes, I I'll do it. Brooklyn quick. Um and so for 2K, you know, we we hear you, but we also heard loud and clear from providers who've been through 3K, been through preK that there are a set of independent providers who want to remain viable. And so we have to consider them as part of the larger ecosystem of care. And so we want to be thoughtful in how we roll out programs across communities as to not, you know, put other publicly subsidized programs at risk. But we hear you. We hear our Staten Island partners loud and clear. And for 3K, we are including additional 3K as part of the expansion. >> That sounds like a communication thing. So yes, we will. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. And to to follow up just for for clarity, and I appreciate you bringing up the black studies and in your testimony, Latina studies, the hidden voices >> hidden voices resources. Yeah. >> Um uh three questions. One is AAPI included in that. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Is so the hidden voices resources has nine identity groups inclusive of AAPI? >> There's a reason I'm asking that one specifically >> and Jewish, >> which I'll get to. And I and I also appreciate you you understanding and everyone here understanding it's not just about providing a resource but what that integration looks like. That's right. >> What is the DOE's plan to evaluate whether from the teacher side from whether this is being implemented and from the student side whether the education is having an impact? >> Yeah. So great question. Um so first one of the things that we're going to do is also invest in our superintendent in in terms of their uh work and and and professional learning around this as as well as uh and the superintendents will also work with their principal around this work. Um so first in any kind of evaluation you have to make sure that you're tracking right so the first thing uh that we're going to do is track the use. um we we're tracking that in the beginning through downloads and so on of the of the curriculum and then I think from through our superintendent and principles um the progress monitoring of how that's actually happening in in schools we could we're we're looking into and thinking about um you know and implementation uh tracking mechanisms like we use them in we use them very consistently for our core curriculum um and we're thinking about ways that we're going to be be be doing that going forward. I think finally um you know you know I I believe in inspecting what you expect and I think when when it comes to our principles and our superintendents like that's going to be the the the core measure and and and seeing that when when you think long term about um proficiency rates and achievement gap closing those are the things that we're thinking about add anything >> I mean that was exactly right we really built a great muscle for our monitoring over the implementation of reads and solves using like our implementation checks so that we have clear clearly delineated what we need what we're looking for what we hope our teachers are being supported in um and our superintendent are able to really give the principles also that professional learning. So we're going to we learned so much from those um that implementation that we're going to apply it to >> yeah it has constantly been the the sort of the response of DOE in the past. Look at all these things we're putting in. >> And it has rarely been the response of what we're getting out. That's right. >> And I would I would add the the experience of so many students and teachers and principles is about what's being measured. You mentioned the core curriculum. It is the experience of so many that well they're coming in. Look at all the great we're doing hidden voices. We're doing the black studies curriculum. We're doing arts and then the superintendent comes in and measures your math and ELA scores. Um, and so unless you're unless there is I I this conversation does need to continue because unless it really is part of the evaluative structure, um, it's going to continue to to to to rest on those the same few elements, um, that don't really measure all of what our students need to do. So, I'm I'm encouraged hearing this. I'm encouraged hearing about the expansive nature of what evaluations can and should look like for the benefit of our kids. >> Yeah. I mean chair I think we as superintendents and and principles and >> in your case former superintendent. >> Yeah me too former right right former once a super always a superintendent but >> you know there are multiple ways to measure how a school is doing. Um we have uh qualitative ways for doing that and quantitative ways for doing that. We conduct um probably the largest survey nationally of our parents and and and families and we use that survey those surveys in discussion with principles in discussions with superintendents and so I think you know we already do do so much but I agree with you overall that sometimes we end up focusing too much on inputs and not enough on outcomes and I think um when it comes to the black studies curriculum and the Latin curriculum as well as our hidden voices resources that we are going to start uh thinking about monitoring u measuring and impact. >> Right. Good. I'm I'm glad we're on the same page. It is a con constant constant question ask at every hearing is how are you evaluating? So I look forward >> to those continued discussions because again if if it's not being evaluated there isn't the incentive to implement it fully. So I I appreciate hearing that. Um and >> lastly about this and then I'll go back to uh council member questions. Uh the council currently funds black study curriculum through education equity action plan. We also fund the Latin Dad curriculum, AAPI curriculum about $7.5 million. Uh what are the conversations like with OM for the administration to fund these initiatives? >> Yeah. Yeah. So as you know so many of um so many of these conversations are ongoing with OM. um these things have they do come up and we have constant conversations around them. >> Okay. >> I'm glad the conversations are happening. No, for a program, you know, the council often um initiates these important programs and show how important they are and that they work. Um and it should be picked up by the administration uh from this point going forward, especially since it's being implemented and expanded widely. Um >> appreciate that. Yep. >> Thank you. I I'll turn it over to Council Member Joseph. >> Thank you, Chair. Um, my next topic is something that we haven't touched on and we need to really look at it and see how we could come up with a comprehensive plan, right? Chronic absenteeism. We have not addressed that. I'd like to know what is your plan? For example, students in temporary housing, they are 56% of chronic absenteeism. What is the plan? Um, I know we have shelterbased coordinators. Is that something the council worked with um the administration? We must get our students back into school. Are we using every tool in our toolbox? Um are we partnering with social workers, parent coordinators to make sure that the students are in school? And what whatever the barrier is, are we working to remove those barriers? >> Yeah. Look, chron chronic absenteeism is is a huge one. It's a huge issue for us. Um, and you've you've you've gone rightly to our most vulnerable young people, but I'll tell you across every single demographic in our city. Um, one thing that is clear about our young people and families right now is that our our students are attending school for fewer days than they did prior to the pandemic. We've seen an increase and we're um increasing attendance and a decrease in chronic absenteeism over the last number of years, but um that this is a city-wide issue, a statewide issue, and a national issue. And so we have to make sure that we are very clear around how we're getting to our our our most vulnerable young people. Um what we've done uh is one of the things that we've we've done is to is to shift our attendance teachers to superintendent to be to be supervised by superintendence as opposed to um like more central supervision. And I think that's yielded some really good results because then you're closer to the community of schools that you you have to visit and and that you and and that supervision has been strong. But I want to turn >> what's the current case load for a shelterbased coordinator. What's the current case load? Because that also will help determine if you don't have enough. >> Yeah. >> Then you're not reaching everyone that you should be reaching. And students in temporary housing, we should not only be buying stuff for them, what are we doing to support them academically? >> Yeah. And when you talk about every child and family is knowing that we're thinking we're we're continuing. I think that's important there. But um Flavia, you can address. >> Absolutely. Um thank you um council member Joseph for the question. Um so let me start by addressing the question about the ratio. So we have 180 community um coordinators supporting our shelters and this is nearly 300 shelters. So even though some of the shelters um the the hotels have moved now and they're taking over um managed by the department of homeless services um still our ratio um could improve but I think is really looking at like all the ecosystem of support where I do want to begin um by addressing is that while there is significant work to do in this area um we went from having nearly 41% of the students in the whole assistant being chronically absent to 33.3%. So 7 7.4% reduction. >> But your students in temporary housing are still in temporary housing 6%. >> Absolutely. It went it went you are correct. It all when you look at all STH we started with 54.2% of them being chronically absent and now we are 48%. So 5.5% reduction and the only subgroup in our system where we actually have lower chronic absenteeism than what we had pre- pandemic is students in foster care which is a direct correlation of the investment that was done with your partnership of creating an office of foster care which is one of probably the only two offices across the nation small but but mighty dedicating to these supports. So I think what we see here is when we invest we see a return for our investment. I also don't want to miss this opportunity to highlight the critical work that community schools and looking at wraparound supports provide to mitigating challenges of chronic absentism. When we look at our data and we look at the recent codes we look at national research why are students out there's three factors that come up often. One of them is when students are chronically ill and have other circumstances that keep them from coming. Another one is um adversion which includes mental health challenges. Students who just like feel like they don't belong that they you know they rather stay home and not be in school. Then the third one is disengagement. And disengagement ranges from not having that adult connection to also not being challenged or being supported by the content. So when we talk about combating chronic absenteeism in addition to increasing the support, the magic is our school communities need to know every child well. Are we are we doing that training? It can't happen by a wand. Is that conversation happening? Are we engaging families and parents and school-based or or agencies talking to each other? Is DHS talking to you? Is ACS talking to you? So these things need to happen. >> Absolutely. 100%. and I just um had a meeting with leadership at DHS last week. We continue to meet with them. We are also discussing when we which was a good thing closing the hotels to move students to more stable homes, but that also created challenges in terms of now we have children in the middle of the school year and at different times that are having to move from where they were. And while they continue to be allowed to remain in the school that they were currently enrolled, that also creates another set of challenges. So I agree with you 100% and I'm committed that this is work that needs to be done in an inter agency support, but also we need to be really pointed about what are the root causes why children are out. >> Thank you. Thank you, Council Member. Uh Council Member Wong. >> Um thank you, Chair. Um I want to uh start with uh the summer rising program because uh I I again as member of the CC I was visiting schools and I hear a lot of feedback from parents. Um what happens is the the attendance of the summer rising program drops significantly after the first week and I it's always my belief that either DOE or somebody from the school would reach out to the students hey you know you should come to school and if you're not reach down the others in the waiting list that want to come to school but I I just don't I didn't see that. I didn't see that for several summers. So, uh, can you talk about your remedies because it's just just really distresses me to see a a school open but so few kids attending summer rising. Can you can you can you address that? >> Yeah. So, first of all, summer rising is a wonderful program that we are uh happy to make available for parents. Parents, it's universally a very uh popular program for for families. But you do raise a a significant concern concern, right? The attendance in in uh summer rising it's not it's not a mandated mandatory program for families. So it ranges uh in the mid60% in terms of attendance overall. And I do believe that's a constant concern for us partly because you know many of our families sign up and they they they know they they they that they have gaps in the summer. They might be going places. They might be doing other things. And so it's very difficult then to give a a new spot to families. But we are constantly working with our schools. Our schools are really thinking about um ways to make sure we're serving as many uh families as possible. And so I want to turn it over to um Kevin to add anything else there. >> Yes. And Council Member Wong, as as mentioned earlier, as a followup to your question, um it was a relocation within the building at 96. One of our rooftop units had a fan issue. Um the CO2 readers were detected in the classroom, so we relocated out. FDNY cleared it. We went back in. So >> 93 >> that was fixed. Yes, absolutely. For 93. As relates to summer rising, um by the way, for all uh here and watching at home, the deadline for applications is March 27th. So encourage friends, families, and others to apply. Um, we're very excited about the program. We at the end of every year work with our research and policy group to survey families to talk a little bit about what's it, you know, what do you like in the program? Where should we improve? Um, and I do note like the chancellor, parents do have commitments through the summer season that sometimes draw them away from the program. That being said, we'll continue to work with our CBO partners in DYCD to increase outreach to families to make sure we're filling the seats um the 110,000 seats we're offering. Um, and across our sites, we're increasing our sites from 360 to 379. So hopefully we'll reach families where they are too to alleviate any transportation issues traveling to them. >> Okay. Thank you. And on to topics, difficult topics. Whole harmless policy. Um, DOE has continued a whole harmless funding model where schools with declining enrollment maintain their budgets. Uh, at what point do we acknowledge are we funding empty seats and is there a long-term plan to phase this out or this is now a permanent policy? Can anybody answer that? No, I will attempt to, but um but you're raising like council member Wrestler did uh earlier the the difficulty of this time and this um and that proposal or that policy. And so we're continuing to have those difficult conversations within uh DOE and no decision has been made on whole harmless. and we'll continue to work with um our city hall partners as well as um OM to think it through. >> So, is there a plan to phase this out or or this is now permanent? >> Uh no decisions have been made. We're going to continue to have conversations. As you know, the projections that's used to calculate home whole harmless formulas we'll figure out um down down the line. And so um this is the time to have the conversation um and um we're we're continuing to think about that. >> Okay. Yeah. Moving on. Um it is difficult to talk about this but is it's a fact that we have schools that are underenroll and I've been keeping track of them. There there are schools that enroll fewer than 150 kids compared to four or five years ago where there several hundred kids. uh uh are we is consolidation being actively considered where there are multiple underenrolled schools in close proximities? >> Yeah. So, first of all, uh Council Member Wong, thank you for the question. It is a tough question, but I don't think it's uh it's a secret to anyone. we've lost over 200,000 kids. And so if we if we're going to lose uh a high number of students, it's going to impact many of our schools and it's going to impact um our schools that serve demographically uh families who are leaving the city uh more uh it's going to impact them um disproportionately, right? And so we have seen significant numbers of schools uh decline decline in enrollment. When I look at um our across our city, I do think we're going to um be be discussing having serious conversations about areas that we can see opportunities for like you said consolidations and so on. And that's also a part and part and parcel of thinking about the the non-C capital uh strategies as it come as it pertains to our plan for class size. >> Thank you, Council Member. >> Thank you, Chair. >> Thank you, Council Member Wrestler. >> Terrific. >> Um, thank you, Chair. I really appreciate it. And, uh, I tried to go to parks, but there were too many people, so I came back to have fun with you guys. Um, >> more people at parks than here. No kidding. you know, well, you you got you got started early. Um, so I wanted to ask about a few things. Uh, firstly, I just it feels like things are really moving in the right direction on early childhood, which is great. Um, on a number of different fronts, and I'm so thank thankful that we have more seats coming in Greenpoint and 1122 and Brooklyn Heights and the surrounding neighborhoods in 11201 and 11217. A lot of district 33 is covered. We did send a request for data. Perhaps we were not clear. We didn't get all of the data we requested, so I'm just going to follow up. I don't think it was intentional, but DC Hawkins, I will bug you about that later today. Um, thank you in advance. Um, but thank you for all the progress in early childhood. This is the first time where I didn't just spend almost all my time complaining about it in the last in four years. So, it's a good >> Oh, can you No, you can pay attention to your own early child. That's it. You know, um, I want to shift to class size, which I'm very anxious about and just there are a number of schools in my district that are struggling on compliance. there was uh including some of the district 13 schools that you know well uh chancellor um so last year schools were able to apply for and a number received additional funds to facilitate class size compliance are those commitments multi-year commitments or school I know schools are applying again principles are applying again for new ways to for resources to help with compliance with the law but will they h is the are the are the funds that they received last year in place for next last year as well. >> Yeah, because they hired a teacher, right? So, you can't hire a teacher for one year. >> Yeah. >> I imagine you're tracking, like I'm tracking losses of art, music, libraries, and other, you know, really, you know, essential enrichment programs that are no longer being able to be accommodated by some schools to to comply with the class size law. Are how is that Well, let me actually ask the question. How is that being tracked across the system? And how concerned are you about this? Yeah. So when it comes to um you know what you're talking about arts and um you know ex th those those programmings that in many of our schools is is a huge part of the identity of the school% um we do have to um manage a local conversation with superintendent. So I'll give you an example when I was a superintendent thinking about um a particular school. Um we decided that we were going to go in the way of truncating the middle school of the of that school because it was underenrolled and we wanted because partly because we wanted to protect their opt room. We wanted to protect their their their theater room and their arts programming. And similarly um when we look at uh another program in my in my district in order to instead of doing that we decided we're going to um in my old district sorry we're going to do a proposal to recite a a middle school so that the the the elementary school there could keep th those pieces of programming. I I really do think it's very critical that we are having that conversation locally because SLTs and and schools and superintendents and principles can often make the best decision based on what they see in front of them. And I'll turn it over to Erin to add anything around specialty rooms and so on. >> Just briefly if you can because I got a minute 30. I got I'll be quick. Um >> hi Erin, thank you for the question. um FY27 the way we designed the survey we asked the principles um asked for resources that would result no program reduction so they were intentional in how they asked additionally where there were requests for room conversions we were clear um no reduction of programming in that and then we're doing secondary uh secondary looks at that with the we we're not reducing we're not converting classrooms that would otherwise be art rooms or specialty programs >> I mean I can tell you I've got schools that are losing art rooms losing technology rooms that it's already happened and it's and there's more that are going to happen to comply. I want us to reduce class sizes, but I want to also protect these programs. So, I I just I I appreciate the approach that this previous and the current administration are taking of asking principles and school leadership teams, what can you what do you want to do? How can we comply? What recommendations you have? They know best about their schools. But there's a tension here that I'm very concerned about and I I'm not really hearing how we're solving for it. Just a little bit more broadly, I I really struggled with the previous administration on citing new schools on class size compliance challenges where SEA was involved. And I think part of the challenge was that SEA had a direct reporting line into city hall and wasn't reporting into the DOE or didn't have a dotted line to the chancellor. And it was immensely frustrating. We had school options for new schools in Williamsburg that are desperately needed that were just reject that were in new developments that were rejected without ever talking to me or anyone in my community that were agreed to in resonings. So, I'm just trying to understand as I look ahead, I've got high schools that are bursting at the seams where we need new space, where they need to grow, like the Harry Van Arsdale campus. Um, I've got needs for new elementary school capacity in in District 14 in northern Greenpoint and in in the north side of Williamsburg. I've got a meeting set up on Wednesday with folks from district planning, but who should I be really coordinating with at the most senior level in the chancellor's office on these issues if we're not getting cooperation from SCA, which hopefully that will change. It's a new administration, but um who should we be coordinating with on these? >> That would be Deputy Chesler, um Kevin Moran. >> Okay, Kevin, we will be in touch. Always good to see you all. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Council Member. Council member one. >> Thank you so much, Chair Denowitz. I want to go back to talking about equity and due process cases. So, formerly known as Carter cases. I've been having a lot of conversations with our parents who have special needs. So, especially children who are twice exceptional who just have not been able to find a school that is adequate for their needs. What is the long-term plan here? Because it takes a lot. It costs a lot of money for these parents to be to have the lawyer to sue and it just is not sustainable long term. What is the Department of Education or New York City public schools long-term strategy to meet the needs of twice exceptional kids and not just punting them to private schools to meet their needs? Yes, it's a great question and we've had um and certainly as a superintendent had several conversations with uh with with families who were in in in that position and um really it it boiled down to a really thoughtful approach from each school to meet individual needs. But um I'm sure there are more there's more of this happening across city and I want to turn it over to um Christina Fod to address that. you know, uh, C, Council Member Wong, we've we've done so much work on the autism front given the explosion in, uh, autism numbers we're seeing nationally and locally. Um, and the next layer of our work really has to focus on neurodiversity and which is often what we're seeing with our twice exceptional students. Um, what we've been doing is taking components of what we see kids struggle with, sensory issues and executive function, and doing widescale training training on both of those things. So, for example, this year we did 2,127 attendees for executive function training. Um, the reason why this is important is that we've never did done a citywide effort to help um educators know how to develop skills that twice exceptional students often struggle with. The same with our sensory spaces and you mentioned those before. I was delighted to hear. Um, it's another area that our twice exceptional students often struggle with. And as you know, the the priority is making sure that kids have both the social emotional, the academic, and um the special education expertise all in one building. As the chancellor said, this is often done locally. I just wanted to share some of the things that we're doing systemically. >> So, you want to bring the students back to public schools and you're preparing for it because I know the governor has asked for due process cases for the cost of it to be brought down. So, what is the plan here during a budget crisis to bring that price down? >> Yeah, it's exactly what we talked about earlier is opening up more of the programs that parents are asking for. Um, and as we spoke about earlier, investments in those programming allows us to expand and those are the most competitive options to allow for families to seek who want to seek a public school placement. So for school district 30 you and district 24 you have plans in place to expand those programs for the children who >> Yeah. You probably know how much expansion we've done in both of those districts. It's pretty phenomenal work that both have been doing and again with additional um additional funding for specialized programs were able to do that expansion. >> Okay. Can you give me a dollar amount of how much more we can expect this fiscal year coming up? Um I certainly in terms of uh what we're going to be doing this year to expand specialized programs >> within the school district um >> for district 30 and district 24 >> either um um our CFO or uh can do that or we can get back to you. >> Yeah. So, we continue to have ongoing conversations around specialized programming with city hall and OMB. And so, while I don't have a particular dollar amount for you, especially specific to the district, we can uh get back to you. But again, these are ongoing conversations that we are having about these important investments. >> Okay. I just want to make sure that it's on your radar that district 30 and district 24 have seen a tripling of the number of students who need these programs. So, we want to see at least double of what the funding has been in the upcoming fiscal year. >> I'll be sure to let Owen know that. >> And can you help me understand? I know Deputy Chancellor Hawkins is here and we are so grateful for your partnership for having increased our school seats for 3K and preK by over 175 in district 30 and district 24. But we want to understand right now I'm getting a lot of emails and phone calls from early childhood providers who are elated with the news from the mayor and the governor saying that we're going to have full funding for 3k and prek across the whole entire city. So right now from my conversations with the uh early childhood education providers is that they have submitted an RFI but they have not been given an RFP but it seems that parents and providers are under the impression that we're going to be opening these 3K and preK seats by the fall. So can you help me understand because you and I have been on the phone multiple times where we know how long the RFP process takes. That's right. from an RFI to an RFP to all of the approvals and permits from Department of Education, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and FDNY, DOB. So, how are we going to do this by fall? And what is the plan here and strategy for how we're going to have children enroll into those schools by the fall? Because it's not on myschoolsyc for them to have applied to it. So, I'm just trying to understand your process here. >> No, I I appreciate those questions. And so the RFP process to your point is very involved and that is something we are planning for the future. That would be a larger procurement effort that is not available right now. To your point, what we did release to leverage this opportunity to launch 2K and expand 3K in places where we don't currently have a contract or don't currently have care in a district school setting was released a a request for interest. And so we are that RFI you mentioned. In addition to that, we did send surveys to family child care networks and contracted CBOS to determine if they would like to also participate in the 2K and 3K effort and or right. And so what we are doing is two things. Leveraging existing contracts where we can convert underutilized seats to support either and 2K and 3K where appropriate. looking at for 3K specifically application data where there's been a history of unmet unmet demand where we can place seats. We also believe in continuity of care. So where we may launch 2K in the fall, we are looking at providers and locations that already have a permit. To your point, it is a big lift to get permitted by our lovely health department partners. Not to their fault. Um, and so we are planning forward for that for year two of 2K and then supporting 3K along the way. So right now we're leveraging existing contracts, existing spaces with 3K and also school settings, so district schools and pre-K centers. >> So am I understanding correctly that by fall these 3K seats will be open. >> That's that's our commitment. And so, and like years prior, if there are new sites that come online, sorry, chair, um sites that come online after the uh 3K and preK application process, we notify families through an alert system through my schools and then families can always add themselves to the wait list, but it is a rolling process. Okay? Because I just want to put on record, Bean Sprout and Woodside is waiting for their 3K seat, especially because we're getting rid of the Mosaic 3K seat and pre-K seat to be out of the district as we've talked about before. So Bean Sprout has to be that replacement if you close down Mosaic and Bunny Hill that is open in Long Island City that we were able to get open for 3K and preK. They have a site in Greenpoint and currently Greenpoint only has one 3K and one preK. So they're they've responded to the RFI and are waiting for it. and also Qui Luck who that is operational in Long Island City is also in Greenpoint looking to open up a 3K and pre-K seat as well. So I really hope we can get that done. Thank you so much. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you council member. Council member Felder. >> Yeah, I apologize. We have, you know, uh other votes. Uh uh so I'm sorry I left in the middle. So first of all, congratulations and good luck >> uh to to the whole team because you know that you you're going to get the complaints. You're not going to get any uh compliments or anything like that. And that's the way it works. >> That's the word. >> So I'm sorry that shouldn't count towards the time by the way. >> Yeah. But but You know, my mother, may she rest in peace to till the day she passed away, said that the best time of her life was the time she spent in public school in the Bronx. That's where she went. That was the to and and u I always thought that I was the baby and uh that she'd say something else, but that's what it was. So, I I'm going to mention three items. not to de debate. I'm just asking you to look into them and then one which I think and I'm going to try to talk as quickly as my uh colleague did. So number one is that the issue of the schoolyards. I'm not sure you're aware of it but there used to be a policy where the schoolyards were entirely dedicated for play for the children. Somehow after the Bloomberg administration, the the parts of the schoolyards have been set aside for parking. I know that it's difficult for staff and whatever else to find parking, but at the same time, I know that it's impossible for children to find any place to play. So I would just ask you to look back to that policy and there is no perfect uh solution but I would just say is that if you had to take you know make a choice I think the schoolyard should be dedicated entirely entirely for children to be able to play one two safety a as it stands now I I I've tried, by the way. Yeah. I can walk into almost any public store that I did. And uh and let me tell you, I'm a I'm a scary guy. You know, God forbid they these resource officers are not armed. I know it's a complicated issue, but they're not armed. Anybody, God forbid, could walk into a public school and we don't want to wait. I'm just saying my own opinion. You don't want to wait till something terrible happens. I know it's again, I know it's a complicated issue, but right now you anybody could get into the door and they're not armed. There's really nothing much they can do. That's number two. Number three, they you the public school system used to have a many more a much more I should say op many more options of vocational programs. Now there's a guy named Simfelder who was always in the principal's office always. I school and I did not get along. It wasn't my fault. It was their fault. I if I had had a vocational program, I would have done very well. And I think that there are many students, no matter how many times they give them the tests, it's just never it's not going to work. They're not they're not made for it. So, I would just ask that you look into that. Uh you know, about increasing it. Uh I still haven't graduated, so I'm interested in the program. Uh and finally the question I really have is the following is that they the this is not something obviously that happened just now but it's a problem that's been going on for many years. the the issue of uh the overwhelming need to address the uh payments and the whole system for special education children in public schools and in non-public schools. Time and time again, I've heard from parents and providers in in schools, you know, less so that are denied services. they go through the whole system. It it it there's something wrong with it, you know. Uh there really is. It's broken. Uh and I don't I can't blame I can't even bla complain or blame anyone at the Department of Education because I it's an overwhelming problem that never ever it just keeps on building, you know, it's it's never been addressed. So I have to ask I you know I'm just asking like one provider as an example Encore is one provider a private they're owed in excess of $5 million uh you know and and uh I I'm just saying to you maybe it's not a an answer question uh you know that you can answer. I'm just s saying that the there there I am among the many other things that you have to fix. You know, maybe maybe you can please uh dedicate I have some ideas for you by the way that I'm willing to volunteer. >> Good. There's a lot of issues there. Do you want to respond or answer? >> No. Yeah. No, no. I I I told him he doesn't have to respond to the first four. Yeah. Okay. >> And the fifth, even the fifth, he doesn't have to respond. He'll take the fifth. You know what I mean? >> Look, I think, you know, we talked a little bit earlier about um due process and reimbursements, and there are significant um issues there. We're making uh significant headway on those those though. And I think the more we can we can really attack some of the the the core issues um the better it will be for um efficiency long term. I'm not allowed to say anything, but if if if the chair could just make believe um council member Wong for a second is that is that I for the first 10 years I was a tax auditor and they found boxes and boxes of cases in the basement that had to be addressed. it is impossible for you to fix the a problem that has accumulated over so much time. >> So that's why I'm volunteering to come back. >> You you need a SWAT team. >> Okay. >> I'm just suggesting >> for now I have um my my my chief legal counsel. I don't have a SWAT team, but she's close. >> Oh yeah. Well, council member, thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to address this. We've got a SWAT team and that SWAT team is acting pursuant to the court order issued by Judge Loretta Presca in the LV case and we have transformed this work. I would love to share updated data with you. I think your data is out of date um because we are down to record turnaround time for issuing payments. Now, some providers do experience delays, and most of where we see those delays happening is when they're unable to provide us with required documentation, such as a confirmation from a parent that the services have been provided. Um, so I'm aware that some providers are having that experience, but in terms of when we get the paperwork that parties that families are required to submit to us, we're getting payment turned around in a matter of weeks. I I want to thank you for inviting me to come see you. It's the first time in history that that has happened. >> My goodness. >> I I I'm very excited. By the way, even if I don't show up, even the fact that you're >> I'll be there. I'll be there. >> No, I I I I'm going to take you up on the offer. >> Great. We'd love to show you our dashboard. >> I want to. Yeah. Good. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, council. Council member Epstein. >> Thank you. And I know you've been here a long time. So I want to talk about um so in my district we see a lot of pro trouble early on in learning and we use a program called literacy academy that really helps kids get up to speed and we see that really transforming people's lives. I'm wondering time where you are on expanding ensuring that you know earlier on their careers we're getting kids to learn to read early enough in their career chancellor. >> All right. I'm sorry. Um, look, I think Literacy Academy is is is a strong program. We at um are at at at DOE, we're really thinking about and have been over the last uh number of years, especially with um New York City re in terms of early screening. um you know really thinking at making sure that our we're responding to our um >> yeah chancellor I just can we expand things because I I worry about summer rising I worry that that we're not we're not educating kids during summer rising and literacy academy is really a place where we can do that and where places programs like that I'm wondering if we can be expanding that we're struggling to get enough resources in where I live in district one and across my district. Yeah, we can we can look into that. I do think last year in particular for the first time we did incorporate uh literacy interventionists into our summering program because we see that need there as well. And so we can we can talk more offline about um literacy academy, but I I do recognize like you said the need to think about early literacy um and to make sure that we're addressing needs early. >> Right. I appreciate that. Thank you. I want to talk about after school for a moment. Um, uh, so I've been a parent a long time in this city and back in the day when my kids were little. Um, and we had more control over programs, we could see a more diverse schools, but we've seen post marital control and blueber administration that schools become more racially segregated and it really it's connected to after school because in our title one schools in my district, people getting free after school when the non-title one schools, they're not. So people are making economic choices about what school to apply in a district of choice because um access to after school. I'm wondering what we're doing to expand free after school. So title one families can make choices about what schools they can go to, especially in a district of choice to give them more opportunities to create more economic racial diversity in our schools. >> Yeah, thank you. After school is a huge deal. We talk to parents all the time, especially in elementary schools who really care about um expansion of after school. We've done some expansion of after school this year, 5,000 seats I believe across the city and then next year thinking of ramping that up to 10,000 seats. Um and so there's significant work being done there. I want to turn it over to um Flavia to to add anything. >> Thank you for the question. So yes, after school support are critical. As a DOE mom who also has a child that attends a program that benefits for after school, I know how critical those programs are for all of New Yorkers um particularly for working families. As the chancellor pointed out, there was a recent expansion of afterchool specifically through DYCD. So they expanded after school to 40 schools, 37 of them being New York City public schools and uh three charters. Now going into the next um school year in the fall, there's going to be an addition of 67 uh DOE schools that are going to receive um after school. So in total, the vast majority of after school in our city are through the YCD and then the remaining that are centrally funded programs are through New York City public schools, um community schools. So I would love to understand more of their concerns, meet up and and talk through the footprint that exists. >> Yeah. I would love to make sure that every family, especially lower income families can get to have an a free afterchool program so they can make cho, you know, in a district of choice, they can make choices to advance some of these values and I'm happy to continue to talk offline. Same >> because yeah, I'm happy to do that. Uh I just want to talk about um kind of the greening of our school systems and I don't have a lot of time left. So there's the physical building and the kind of inside the inside the physical buildings of how we create a green infrastructure. I know we've talked a lot around kind of what it would take to do that and the cost of it associated with it. I'm wondering what's the kind of what's on the landscape to make sure that we have the green infrastructure making sure that we're moving away from single use especially single use non-compulsible items and how we then are working on the building structures to to green them. Yeah, great question. And uh we've we've seen investment across our schools um in in in thinking about and I and I always hear about uh sustainable coordinators in schools that are working with um um our young people on these issues, but uh in terms of the greening of our buildings, I'll turn it over to Kevin. >> Chancellor, just before we turn it over, I just want to make sure you're committed to not having single-use plastic in our buildings as well. Like I want to move away from that. I know we've talked to school foods about it. I want to hear if you're committed to doing that. >> Yeah, I think that's something that we can continue to to look at. I, you know, um, conceptually and and and certainly ideologically. I'm absolutely aligned to that, but Kevin, you can talk >> specifically plastic free. I was at an event pretty recently up in the Bronx where we did that very thing with a CBO partner and the school community embraced it. So, really like to learn more about about that program, too. As it relates to the green infrastructure, um something we're very excited about, we hold the the title of the largest solar uh footprint of any city agency. We're real happy about that. Unfairly, we have 1400 buildings. I get it. But we do have a lot of solar. Um I do know the school construction authority has looked at geothermal as a way. We are stepping down all of our and staying in compliant. Uh stepping down all our fuel. Uh most recently we opened up at MO a B 100 uh boiler which is really exciting. It's essentially French fry oil. all the kids wrote about in the school uh journalism class. So, we're really excited about that. But, as we step down from the the dirtier uh oils, if you will, um going to natural gas and other solutions, electric being one, um we can give you stated progress, but it's something that we definitely support and are excited about. >> Thank you, council member. And I I I want to thank a deputy chancellor now. You weren't deputy chancellor back then, but deputy chancellor Moran, who's been very helpful in some of the water fountains in schools in my district. And you know, we have to make sure we're providing kids the opportunity and the availability of water. Um, and now that that's there and in other schools as well, I hope soon, working clean water fountains. Uh, that'll make it much easier to reduce things like plastic water bottle use. Um, I want to go back to special education. Uh, the preliminary district 75 expansion. Uh, the preliminary plan added 49.6 6 million in state funding for additional district 75 special education classes associated with the 464 additional headcount. How many additional classes will be open with this funding? >> Thank you, council member. Uh thank you, chair. That funding was actually for this school year and with that funding we were able to openund an additional 173 classes. Uh and in which community school districts will geographically will they be located? >> Yeah. So in um in Brooklyn we have districts geographic districts geog geographic districts pardon me. 32 19 15 20 13 in Manhattan. >> Sorry. >> Start over. 32 >> 19 >> Yep. >> 15 20 and 13. And I'm happy to send these in. Right. >> Yeah. He's also but >> um Manhattan 6 and 3 >> Queens 30 27 24 and 28. >> Mhm. >> District 31 in Staten Island. And in the Bronx we have 8 and 11. >> I was scared you're going to leave the Bronx out for a second. >> Nope. >> There's a dramatic pause >> for for >> It was very dramatic >> for you. I I will say best uh best for last. You're very good. U and so these these just to be clear, these are seats that are already online. They're in the current fiscal. Okay. Um is there any particular type of disability classification that these seats um support >> autism, emotional disability, intellectual disability, and students with multiple disabilities. >> And these to you are the just relating it back to due process cases. These are the kind of the majority of cases that you're uh seeing the due process claims made for. Is there a correlation between those decisions to open those seats and due process? >> No, the the decision to open those seats are are driven solely on individual needs and uh what we're seeing in terms of students coming through the IEP process. Um and so child shows up, we evaluate and we give them the program that they um the evaluation team thinks is needed. Um in terms of due process, we have uh opened up specialized programs in specific districts to serve um and and those are are community districts uh to serve students that otherwise would have taken a Carter route. >> Um not you mentioned the districts. Can we get it? You can send it to us later, but the seat breakdown per district. Thank you. Um, and the positions that are associated with the additional headcount, those are >> Can you break that down for us as well? >> Yes. Teachers, classroom pair professionals, transportation par profofessionals, and IEP paraprofessionals. >> And and you can also send over a breakdown of those two. I do want to give a shout out to our paraprofessionals. I know there's at least one here and and and Bridget. Yeah. But um you know from my time in the classroom you know I I don't know where I would personally be and where my kids would be without their paraprofessionals. Um during the pandemic pandemic New York City uh public schools launched a program called sensory exploration education and discovery seed providing after school and weekend programs where students with intensive sensory needs can get help from occupational and physical therapists along with a family education engagement component. Um after the federal co 19 stimul stimulus funds expired two years ago public schools got a grant from the state education department. That grant runs out this year. U 94% of families agree that the seed program has been beneficial in addressing their child's sensory needs. That's a good grade. It's an A. Uh what is so that funding is running out from the state. What is the current budget for this program and how many seed sites does this support? C. Uh, currently um 77 seed sites are up and running, fully operational, and it cost us about $6 million annually to run that program for nearly uh 200 2,000 students. >> Okay. So, you said 2,000 students are currently utilizing the program. Um it's I don't want to give the exact number because it's rolling enrollment but typically between 700700 and 2,000. >> Okay. Um and what resources does the department of education need to ensure you can continue the seed program including the afterchool and weekend seed programs? >> We are working on that number. Happy to get back to you. And you know going back to the same questions about mayoral control similar same questions about the caps um what advocacy has the department of education done with the state to advocate for continuing this funding. >> Well you know earlier we talked about and I and I need to apologize for misspeaking earlier I quoted fair student funding. What I meant was our funding weights that we the chancellor um fair student funding does take into account the localized needs of students. So, I I was actually talking about the advocacy the chancellor did with at the state budget hearing around added weights for students with disabilities. Of course, when we if we look at added weights, we're able to to look beyond, you know, the the the mandated needs and into spaces such as this. >> So, the advocacy centers on the increased um formula for kids for students disabilities that that's what the advocacy, right? >> I think that's I think that's one form of it. Are are there other forms? >> Uh, you know, we're certainly I just I don't want to say that that's the only thing that would help. You know, we are open to any any sort of um additional funding that would support the this program because of its monumental uh impact that it's had on students. >> Okay. Um, so ju just to go back for these particular programs, I I I I'm just trying to make clear is the DOE going up and saying this program needs $6 million as you just testified, this other program needs whatever other dollars. Are you going up program by programming, program by program, and advocating for uh the dollar amount in addition to the advocacy you've already done around the um fair the formula uh to increase the the funding for students with disabilities. >> Yes. So, I think you know in general uh we have conversations about a lot of different um uh topics and certainly when we're in conversations with city hall and OM uh a lot of many specific programs come up. >> Thank you. Um and have you spoken to OM about continuing this funding this program with city dollars? Um, so yes, we have spoken to OM about this particular program. >> Great. Thank you. Um, I I I want to go back to district 75 for just for a minute uh just to better understand a little bit. You you're saying there are new uh class 173 new classes um and new seats for district 75. Are we talking uh new schools that are opening up? Are we talking about putting more seats in existing schools? What's the mix? >> We opened we put a new district 75 school online um this year and then it also includes opening up additional classes in existing schools. >> Okay. So, you're mostly talking about expanding existing D75 programs, >> correct? >> Okay. And is and what has the feedback uh been on that? Is that what principles or or uh teachers are saying like it makes sense to expand existing programs or do you hear more that we need new uh schools, new programs in in in throughout the city? What are you hearing? >> We we hear both, but ultimately chair, you know, we're looking at high quality program close to home and the vision here is to give as many kids as possible access to programs that are in their geographic district and ideally where their siblings go to school. And that's why we've been focusing, you know, certainly district 75 plays such a vital role um given the demand and increases we're seeing of students with disabilities and the level of need. Um district 75 has been what we have been our our go-to around u serving students. Ideally though we are going to be moving and that's what we have seen in our pilots into that more localized placement of students with the support and that's why we keep pushing for our specialized programs. It's the most effective way to do that. >> Yeah. If I just add a couple things. One, just a reminder that District 75 has grown over uh 2,800 students um since 2020. And this is in is in contrast to the rest of the city that's losing enrollment, right? And and I think when it comes to citing a a district 75, what I've heard from principles um around the city is this opportunity for inclusion is is something that's really important to to us. So the site within a school um you know allows us to to to to really promote um being inclusive. >> Thank you. And I and I do but I I I don't think I said it out loud yet and I do appreciate it every time you say it that when you talk about integration you're also talking about integration of students disabilities which is which is huge. It's something I think we don't talk enough about and I'm grateful that you are speaking using that language. So thank you. Um I want to move over to early childhood. Um unfortunately the the the chair is stuck >> and so I'll be asking some questions on her behalf. Um, but here we go. You ready? >> Pull up. Pull up those documents. She looks ready. Okay. 2K pilot. >> Okay. Uh, the preliminary plan includes $73 million in fiscal 2027 in state funding to begin a 2K pilot next year. Uh, the city recently announced that five school districts, 6, 10, 18, 23, and 27, will receive new 2K seats next fall. How many extended day and school day seats will be offered under the 2K program in the first year? >> Thank you for that question, chair. Um, I'm going to provide something that's probably not going to be uh satisfying. We are still working through those details. And so, as I mentioned earlier, we released an RFI. That process is still ongoing. Um, we also released two surveys to existing providers. And so, we're working through those details now to determine program model and also specific locations and seat counts. >> Well, I'll tell you, I have mixed feelings about that answer. I appreciate that that it was an answer. You answered the question honestly. So, thank you. um when is there a timeline on when you'll have answers to to that question? >> So, we have to confirm the timeline, but what I can commit to is once we do finalize the information, we are happy to share it with the council so you can have the information. >> Yeah, I think I think all of us have our our our constituents stop me in the street asking asking this question. Uh and you know, they are very eager. We are all eager in the council to know when we can when this will be implemented when they'll have those when they'll have those details. >> And chair, I will say those who applied to the RFI, those not in the priority districts for the upcoming fall were notified. Those moving to the second phase of the RFI were notified and so any of your constituents are aware where they are in the process. >> Thank you. I meant the parents. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah, I meant the parents. Um the funding uh for 2K it jumps to 425 million in fiscal 2028 as part of go as part of the governor's commitment. However, there's no baseline funding for 2K. Um what is the DEI's long-term funding plan for this population? I think as we are having conversations about the overall state of um our portfolio of early care and education, we are having conversations with the administration, the mayor's office, and OM about what that figure could look like and should look like >> under the council's infant and toddler pilot. The competitive seat rate costs um of $40,000. Given the amount of state funding allocated for 2,000 seats, this would not cover the reimbursement rate. Can you confirm? >> So, the birth to two pilot includes infants and toddlers, not just 2 year olds, those 24 months to 36 months. >> We are looking at what the rate could be for 2K and I would like to remind the council and folks that the uh birth to pilot only included community- based organizations. 2K will also include family child care providers. What is your target rate for the 2K seats? And do you believe it's a competitive rate? >> We're we're finalizing that now, but I would like to think it is a a competitive rate. >> Okay. I I smaller providers have expressed concerns about getting contracts when when competing with larger corporate pro providers. How is the DOE working to ensure equity when awarding contracts? So it's just what I mentioned earlier around you know we we talk about ecosystems and ecosystems include independent care it includes informal child care it includes homebased centerbased care district school care because if it's really centered around parent choice parents choose different settings for their littles and so what we did was we looked at the entire uh permitted license regulated footprint in New York City which includes regulated care from OCFS New York state OCFS as well as well as DOH HMH that also includes our independent program I mean um excuse me our district school programs and so looking at where placement currently is. We want to do this in a very thoughtful and measured way. We understand that there is need for 2K, there's need for 3K, there's need for infant care, but that care also exists outside of New York City public schools. And so we want to be thoughtful about where we place seats. And so the mayor's office of childcare and early child education working with us, ACS, talking about inter agency partners, looking at a bunch of data and making sure we overlay that when we are determining seat placement is how we approach this. I I will note that there are some high schools where they need daycare or child care for the student population. >> That's the life program. >> Yes. Correct. Yes. So, I'd love we're going to talk offline about that at one of the schools in my district you're familiar with. Um but I I you know, we talk in the in here in these meetings very kind of high level and you look at it as spreadsheets. You need to you're you're running something. But there's also the reality and it was sort of referred to uh referenced before about DOE programs versus the community-based providers. So, and there are different challenges there. And I'm going to ask two things and how you're addressing these. And one is you you are doing a reimbursement rate per child for your community based organizations. Correct. >> That's correct. And so, so how do you manage or how how do you work with a CBO where you've told them you have whatever 20 seats you have, you know, you gave them funding for 20 seats, only 18 kids or 17 kids for whatever reason stay in the program and you've just taken away uh funding for three students, but they still have to open the classrooms for those 20 kids. They still have to hire the teachers. They have to do all that contractual work. How do you manage that and still support CBOS with such a rigid structure given the realities of of what the CBOS are facing? >> Yeah, I want to acknowledge that, you know, I cut my my teeth at a community-based organization um many years ago and so um although I love all of our settings, they hold a special place in my heart. So, I want to I want to lead with that truth. Um, we have a base plus model in which our community-based organizations are funded and so they are reimbursed usually on a month lag. Um, and it is above their actual enrollment. And to your point, chair, it recognizes that there are some costs that are just fixed. And so you need a teacher for three kids, you need a a teacher for 15 kids. >> Got it. >> And so we are looking at models as we kind of shift into a larger procurement about how we can better reflect those fixed costs. But right now in the current contract structure which has been in in in uh active for about five years now it does recognize above your actual enrollment for that very reason. >> Okay. Yeah. I still think there's some uh there are some problems there. Um and it's clear that there are problems which is why you're you're going back and and looking at it because you're aware of them. Um and you are I assume in conversations with the CBOS with the ones who provide >> the second Thank you. Second question about that uh and it was mentioned again CBOS versus DOE schools is pay disparity right and it is um I know we have a bill in the council by chair Lee to address that um but that's a you know it's a really tough call to make you know so many people at CBOS's they stay because they love their kids and they love the program uh and then they go home and they're met with this the the weight of affordability in New York city, they're met with a weight of asking themselves if they are making the right decision for their lives, knowing that they can make more at the DOE than they can at the place that they that they love. How is the DOE addressing the pay disparities between the CBOS and the DOE schools? >> So, first I want to say there's no versus, right? That's not how we operate. And for early care and education, we would not be successful without our CBOS. They comprise about 60% of our seat capacity. And so there's no verses. Um we want to also acknowledge that there is pay disparity across the settings and that's something we are committed to fixing with the administration. Clearly the administration leading that effort, but we have to do that in concert with our labor partners. And so we are having those conversations. But you know we have you have our commitment to making sure that our CBO partners, our homebased providers are seen in the space because they are very much valued in this work. I mean, is the DOE looking to are New York City public schools looking to match the CBO pay scale with that? >> That's not something we can independently decide. That's something we have to do with our labor partners. >> In in the past, you've provided um I guess they're they're bonuses. I I don't know what the proper term is. >> Many moons ago, there were retention and recruitment bonuses to incentivize folks to come into the field. That's that that's different. I think that was around 2500 to 35. >> And you did it during COVID, I believe. And I believe it was very uh successful and the teachers are very uh happy about that. Right. >> Right. There was also this effort to increase non-union wages to align with DC37 wages. Again, that's different from what >> you know district school teachers under uft is provided. So we are having all of those conversations >> right there. But there were bon for there were I guess recruitment retention bonuses for the non uh uft members the the non DOE schools. I'm talking specifically about CBOS that they received uh the teachers got additional funds right? >> I would have to verify if it was a contingent upon a a union affiliation >> that was those that happened many years ago, but that's something my team can look into around the the recruitment and retention bonuses. >> Yeah. Because that seemed to have been successful and we want to repeat models that have been successful paying early child providers what what they deserve, right? taking care of, as you say, our littles, our babies, >> which is language I love. >> Yeah. I would say, you know, a a bonus, an incentive bonus is always welcomed. I think what I'm hearing you say is something that is kind of at the undergirling of what they do to be compensated at a rate that they deserve. And so, a one-time payment of 2500, I'm sure, is nice, but I'm I'm sure that our educators want a livable wage, a higher wage that's more aligned with what their colleagues are doing. And that's something that larger. Exactly. >> They deserve it. And you know, I I hear the phrase often labor of love, >> and like that's nice, but that doesn't pay the rent, >> you know. Um so, and it it's so hard to keep relying on simply the fact that people love their job and love their kids. Um you know, it is it isn't right. Um so, uh I I I want to move to Head Start Head Start transitional contracts. The DOE recently transitioned from federally funded Head Start seats to city-f funed transitional contracts for Head Start delegates. Uh we would like to discuss updates on this process and the future of DOE run Head Start programming. Uh what is the current breakdown of city funded Head Start and early Head Start seats by school district? >> We have that data ready and we can share that after the hearing. >> Thank thank you. Um, same question. What is the current enrollment in these seats by head start and early head start? Uh, and what is the overall utilization rate and the util utilization rate by seat type? >> We can share that. I just want to clarify we no longer stratify by early Head Start and Head Start because those are titles that no longer exist. They're no longer Head Start programs. >> Thank you for the clarification. And how will these seats eventually be integrated into the DOE early childhood ECE system? >> I love that question. We're looking at that now as we think about the overall procurement that will be happening prospectively. >> But at the same day, is there a is there a timeline on that like have you set goals for yourself for integrating that into the DOE? >> So internally, yes. So we can't give any information proactively about a future procurement because that can create some unintended advantage for folks who are listening to this hearing in that instance. So yes, we are planning forward for that, but we can't share details on a specific timeline for which that will be released. >> You can't share timeline of when you of what your goal is for integrating the seats because it's related to an RFP. >> Correct. >> Okay. As a now city funded program, what's the goal for Head Start's Head Start seats? >> Sorry, I don't think I understand the question. >> Well, the um the the total number of seats for Head Start, what is your goal? >> So, we don't have a goal necessarily. So, one thing that we we were do we did when we transitioned from Head Start contracts, including early Head Start to transitional, was give the providers an opportunity to convert their seat types. And so, what you'll see in the data, and I'm sure what you saw in the PMR, is that there was a transition of or actually an increase in infant toddler seats and a decrease in preK and 3K seats for the Head Start transitional. So there's no goal, but we do have a total uh um portfolio of care that we've been trying to maintain uh for for the Head Start program. >> And do they have immigration status requirements these seats? >> No, they do not. >> So anyone is eligible for these seats. >> So what we've been asking the providers to do is prioritize those families who would normally be eligible for Early Head Start or Head Start, which has categorical eligibility requirements. um it does not consider immigration, but since these are now CTL funded, they can expand eligibility to include those that are just ageel eligible and live in the five burrows. >> Thank you. >> Uh in the >> I'm ready. >> You're I can tell you're ready. >> I'm locked in. >> I almost want to like go to someone else. Give give you a a breath. Uh um in the fiscal 2026 budget deal, the council secured $10 million in funding for the first non- means tested infant and toddler seats, also known as birth to two initiative. I would first want to thank you for working with the council to launch this pilot program, especially in such a short timeline. Uh how many child care programs are participating in the pilot program to offer these seats and how were they selected? >> Yeah, so originally it was 18 for 240 seats. Right now we are down to 13 at 170 seats. And what we found was starting mid year we ran into issues with staffing identifying staff to work and start in the program in January. But also families often locked in their care uh starting earlier in the school year. So that September. So some of our pro participating providers uh ran into issues recruiting families specifically for the 24 months to 36 months range. Right now we're 88% enrolled. And what we did was we looked in communities again taking that overlay of existing care and saying who has um for instance vouchers. We don't want to have families or providers excuse me supplant care. We wanted this to be in addition to and so also we looked at existing contracts again very concentrated timeline to set these up. So wanting to at to leverage existing mechanisms to do so and then looking at the economic need index and communities to determine what you know meeting kind of families with most need. >> That is kind of the high highline. Sorry. >> What insights have you gained from this experience that's going to shape the roll out or the continuation of this and the roll out of the 2K pilot? >> Yeah, I I think the timing is something we are still evaluating. That January start did not work at at our advantage to be honest. mentioning again the staffing and families, but what we've been doing now um in addition to uh getting the word out about 2K earlier on, we are creating a centralized admissions process for 2K which will help families really direct them into care once they are announced. Um really focusing our marketing but also supporting the participating providers no matter the setting um on staffing up properly. So having a bit more runway will allow a lot more success for this for 2K. Now you're talking about enrollment, you're talking about managing the early childhood system. In the past, there were walls between these two systems where my uh early childhood providers, you know, they would complain they lost kids, but they had no way to access uh the let's say a weight list or other kids to to fill up those seats. And when asked in the p when I asked in the past about this to the early childhood um uh of the DOE the response was very nicely but the response was well that's a different unit that's a different division. So what has been done in the past year or two years to break down those walls to ensure that enrollment is directly related to the work that you're doing? Yeah. I So what I would like to say and it's something to kind of your prior point about frankly funding vacant seats is recruitment is everyone's responsibility, not just that of New York City public schools. It doesn't just live in my schools. It is everyone's responsibility. When I used to work at a community- based organization, what makes that role so powerful is that they have an intimate awareness of that community. I would go into the Wick Center, right? uh we we would have folks going into the barber shop or the local bodega. You have to know your community and where to find families frankly stand outside of the hospital. You know they their baby's born every day. Um but what we have done around my school's integration to your point chair it is not just the responsibility of the office of school enrollment. We are trying to improve that process, make sure that providers and families know how to actually access it, use it, extend the languages in which it is offered, and actually be in community to help families enroll in real time. And we've worked with the mayor's office on that. >> So, I I I understand all hands on deck, but I just want to be clear in my question that that the offices at the DOE central are are working together, that they're not in silos. Um, and what that and and what that communication looks like because in the past in the past five years since I've been on the council, it has been people in silos and where um, you know, early childhood organizations wanted to to get more kids and but they had to go through three different offices just to figure that out. So, what does communication with the office of enrollment for you look like? >> So, we actually have weekly meetings with them. Um, and not that meetings is a solution, but it's definitely a a tool to make sure that we are communicating. Um, I would be remiss if I didn't shout out DIIT, which is a huge part of making sure that my schools is operable. Um and so in addition to meeting with them weekly, we're meeting with them weekly to talk about 2K centralized system to iterate on existing systems. And then we also beyond the office of student enrollment which is the primary manager of my schools. We actually have standing meetings uh agencywide with reps from different divisions to make sure that we are uh operating strongly intra agencywide. Um just the general point that you're making about the silos that exist within the department of education I think or NYC public schools um that was the spirit in which I entered the reorganization moves that we recently made which is why so many of the um the the pieces that of structures that support schools are now with the first deputy chancellor along with superintendent and our supervising superintendents. And I think, you know, just the way our cabinet operates uh lends itself to seamless communication between um the office of enrollment and um our early childhood uh division. And I think that's that's one of the things that I'm super committed to over the next um number of years to make sure that we're breaking down the silos in NYC public schools. >> Yeah. I I I I noticed that when I asked one of my questions, you gave this face like not shaking your head like how could anyone think that or do that? But the reality is, >> no, I got you. No, >> it's, you know, ask any council member. It's happened in the past. It happens with our city agencies. >> People don't talk to each other one another. I appreciate your commitment to this. >> However, in a 38 billion dollar agency, >> uh, you know, things sometimes get lo that is the reality of it. Um, and so I appreciate your your awareness of this and knowing that this committee stands ready to work with you to make sure those silos are broken down, that all the agencies are talking to each other because it's for the benefit of our kids and the people who educate our littles, our babies, >> your ex cutest. Yeah. >> Maybe not the middle schoolers, but >> no, the little the little ones the cutest. Yeah. >> Yeah. My my kids are getting to that age. Speaking of um well, for all kids, we all deserve safety. Um you know, you mentioned it in your DC Hawkins, you are relieved. You're okay. >> You did great. Um you know, Chancellor, I know you've you've said this both publicly, privately, that safety huge concern. Um we know that there are many facets to the safety of a child. I want to focus right now on school safety uh officers. The plan includes increased costs for school safety, but the additional funding does not increase headcount for these positions. What's the current budgeted headcount for school safety officers? And how many positions are currently filled? >> Yeah, thank you for I know I you know I see uh my my my chief of safety Mark Rampant uh is already at the table and I'm excited to kind of hand it over to him. But just to really point out that safety in a school as you know uh chair is really centered on relationships and you know it's never with any one individual and so we've been doing a lot of work around ensuring that um communication in schools are really strong and um I'm excited to to kind of continue to think about that with um with our principles and and and our and our school staff. But you know, as you know, we don't also we also are not um the headcount for school safety agency doesn't school safety agents does doesn't fall on the DOE. And so I'll um talk I'll I'll shift it to Mark so that Mark can address some of these concerns. But remember to introduce yourself and uh for the record. >> You're good. Maybe we should should switch. >> No thanks. I'm good. >> Agreed, by the way. >> Too early to switch. Uh, my name is Mark Ramperson, chief of safety and prevention partnerships. And as the chancellor just mentioned, the NYPD school safety division falls within the the scope of the NYPD. So, we don't directly control their hiring, training, or deployment of school safety agents. However, we partner with them on a daily basis to ensure that our schools are safe. They are viable members of our school community and do a great job in supporting supporting our students. Um, currently the school safety headcount aotment is 4,15 school safety agents. We are experiencing a massive shortfall as it relates to the school safety agents deployed through our school with their current headcount at 33 3578. Um, some of what they've done to support the shortfall of school safety agents, especially in our elementary schools that only have one school safety agent, is the assistant school safety agent program that you probably heard of, where 114 school safety agents have been hired and deployed to supplement the single school safety agent at our elementary schools. >> Does the 3578 include those 114 assistant uh, school safety officers? >> Unfortunately, it does. and talk about some of the issues that you're that uh that you're facing or the NYPD is facing in terms of hiring school safety agents. >> Yeah. So, in our daily conversation with school safety division, some of the things that they were hearing is the prevailing wage. The school safety agent incoming wage is really low and so it is very difficult for them to get takers or at least young people who are willing to remain with the job as there are so many other um competing um agencies. you know, when you were a correct when you were a school safety agent, you rather work with uh in a correctional facility than a school, right? That's really telling, right? And so they are competing with agencies such as the corrections department and their own police department to boot. >> And what are some of the strategies? But so it sounds like you're saying they should be paid more. >> I am saying that the current wage is what is challenging for the school safety division to keep their current aotment of school safety agents. >> It's the same same thing. It is. You said it, not me. No, >> we both we both said it. We both said it. Beyond the the wages, um what are the recruitment strategies is the DOE engaged in and you know just just for for for color for people who may not be aware that we have principles in my district, principles throughout the city who want to do after school programs, want to do programs on the weekend for their kids, especially uh high-risk uh students or or in uh communities with that are have higher rates of of violence or crime and they are unable able to do the programs that we know work for engaging kids. The programs that we know make our kids safe because the school safety agents are not available like that. That is how important it's it that it is important is about keeping our kids safe and making sure we are expanding the programming available to them so they can continue to be safe and engage in safe activities. So what recruitment efforts are being made to hire up to the number of school safety agents that we need to at least 4,5? >> Sure. Sure. So first of all, thank you very much for that. First and foremost, if there's any principal in our system that's having a problem with um staffing schools after hours and on weekends, please let me know of that. Right? Because that is not a shortfall for us in terms of SSAs as many of our schools are closed during the weekend. So the SSAs are in fact available in that respect. Some of the recruitment efforts are exactly what I just shared. They are going to local high schools and even advertising for the school safety assistant school safety agent program with the with the hopes of getting um recent high school graduates to join the force. Right? So 18 years old to 20 years old. That's the assistant a SSA program. So that's one of the recruitment efforts. The other is advertising the the role of the school safety exam at many of our PTA meetings, working with our parent coordinators to get the word out in various different ways by which um they get to have facetime with families and other other bodies. >> Let's go back to evaluation of schools because this is for me like the number one thing. A superintendent goes into a school. Let's let's say high school as you're talking about go into a school. They look some of the quantitative markers, test scores, attendance, credit cruel, important things, and number of students attending college. Is that last one correct that they're looking at the number of students who get into a college? Are they also looking and measuring the number of students, for example, that take the civil service exam? Are they looking at measuring the number of students that um that get gainful employment after high school rather than uh go to college? >> Right. That's a great question. So um through our pathways work as well as our um what we're thinking about for um our our New York City New York State in inspires work. That's something that we um are looking at in terms of preparing our young people for both a career and and beyond. And also um when we think of our CTE programs that we offer throughout the city, um those are pieces that superintendents, especially superintendents of high schools are constantly thinking about as they do the evaluation of of principles. What are the offerings? prepared not just through the you know regions requirements the graduation requirements that you're talking about but the 21st century skills that we know they'll need as they enter the workforce >> right but but again when just you know try to drill down to like the very boring >> I don't think we do we look at the civil service >> but what so wouldn't that be like if you're saying we have this shortfall in civil service and you're saying you're encouraging all these things wouldn't it just make sense to to measure just for superintendent another data point to go in and say like hey how many of your kids whether they're collegebound or not I don't know how many of your kids are are taking the civil service exam or how many of your kids have a job lined up after high school wouldn't that quantitative measure lend itself to the importance of of measuring it and really help help with that pipeline at least a little bit at least a little bit to to help recruit people for our civil service jobs >> so in thinking think about the how many of our young people have a job lined up for after college u for after high school or how many of our our our kids are getting to college. We have obviously our our um college now work that we're doing. All of our um young people when they get to 12th grade get an acceptance letter from CUNI or Sunni Kuni or Sunni school. And we have um a plethora of uh um certifications that our kids are working on while in school. And so they're leaving school getting ready for um EMS or or or um FDNY and and so on and so forth. So there's quite a few and LPN courses and and so on. So there are quite a few opportunities for us to think about, you know, are our students ready to be gainfully employed? I just don't know if we do the civil we look at the civil service. >> Yeah, I I think it's worth again going back to evaluations. I I think if you know college, fantastic. Love it. I went there. It's great. Um I I think that they're measuring how many kids get accepted to college is really critical. I think as we're talking about getting more kids to take the civil service exam, getting kids to get certification, all really incredible things that are happening in our schools, if the superintendent go in and just have that as a data point, it'll lend itself to the importance of the principal to think about, you know, to to get kids to take the civil service service exam, right? If you're evaluating it, then principles super they're going to think about it more and at least maybe a little bit that'll help with some of the recruitment problem. Uh I want to turn it over to council member Felder for a second round. >> Yeah, I'm sorry. I I had asked I had mentioned the four questions to the chancellor that that I said I don't want an answer, but but I didn't say that to you. And since you came up and you're in charge of security, I I I I'm very serious like I'm think my in my mind I'm thinking even if you have hundreds, right? And it's not because I spend too much time on Netflix or anything else that we're living, I think, in a very complicated world. and and the fact that the officers that are supposed to be protecting the kids uh are not armed. I I don't understand even even if you had as many as you wanted. I I just don't get it. Like you know if God forbid somebody walks into a school, even if you have 10 officers there, right? and he and that guy, you know, has a machine gun or whatever else. And I'm not suggesting that even if they were armed, nothing could happen. God forbid. I all I'm suggesting is that as it is now, it's they're sinning ducks as we say. So, I don't Can you respond to uh Oh, >> I I I would have responded earlier, too, if if we had um had the time, but I just uh I I just want to add a couple of or put some context to what you're talking about. In our in a in our school system, the first thing you said you can walk into a school, uh the first thing we have is our safer access doors, right? So you actually have to get buzzed into a school now. That was not the case in in the past. And secondly, you know, as a former principal um and somebody who spent a lot of time in schools, there are ways to protect ourselves that don't necessarily involve weapon heavy weaponry. Right? For example, we have a general response protocol that makes sure that we practice and drill lockdown drills across our system. so that schools can keep themselves safe, not have um uh weapons. They do have a direct contact to our our um precincts and and and um you know, if you if don't try to test this, but if something ever happened where a a a school safety agent goes bar goes citywide, um you know, I Having experienced this, the response level of of of our NYPD partners is quite uh swift and and and actually um protect to protect our school communities. And Mark, you know, I'll give you the opportunity to add anything else. >> Well, hold on a minute. He interrupted you, the chancellor. >> Yeah. >> So, I'm sorry. I mean, you opened it up to me. I I I would just say that that that you know we I I we still I still wish you good luck and everything and everything else. Seriously. >> And the only reason I made some jokes is because you're sitting there for hours under, you know, I and I I want you to remember me. That's all. Uh the what you just said is counterintuitive to what's going on in this country. A yeah, absolutely. I if you want uh your council said that she's willing to spend time with me, I'm willing to spend time with you. the the cases that exist where in different not in New York in other states where unfortunately there were tragedies uh you're describing exactly the very similar systems to what you're describing. So I all on you know that's why I I I I I'm not going to debate the issue because we clearly have very strong opinions or feelings about what would work what's necessary or not or I I I still believe wholeheartedly and and unfortunately that the the schools schools as they are now with the with with everything that you mentioned need. >> That's it. >> Why don't you finish that sentence? That's the suspense is going to >> Huh? No, that's for the next episode. >> All right. >> But no, I I'm just saying like I mean I don't want to drive you nuts. It's like when we have an I have a argument with my siblings. It you know no one wins out of and and the purpose I look the in in my heart of hearts I know that you there's no way in the world that you wouldn't do anything you could to protect the children. I that there's I'm not suggesting anything but that. I'm just saying to you is that what what I what what the cases that have taken place throughout the country had very similar uh you know things going on and unfortunately it's just not for the time for the day you know the time we live in I just feel strongly that that's >> you know that's all >> but I did I did interrupt Mark so I I'm I'm I'm just going to note uh Council Member Wong is going to be next. So Mark, why don't you answer and then we'll go over to that to Council >> Wong. I I'll be super brief. Thank you very much for for your your comments. Um and as a >> I just want you to know that the chancellor thanked everyone and said that was a good question. I was the only one that when I mentioned it that he didn't say it was a good question, but I know it was a good question. >> It wasn't a good question. It was actually a statement, but here's >> No, I want to thank you. >> I'm going to thank you for your question and your statement. I'm also going to thank you for recognizing that here at New York City public schools, we're going to do everything that we can to keep young people safe. And as the chancellor just shared, there are different measures by which we're doing that, including the new technology door locking system. Right. And so that is one of the things that's going to avail us the opportunity to allow our school safety agents to use the one tool that they have at their fingertips to get the entire police department to respond. So you say school, you say gun, they're coming, right? So so those are some of the things that we have different than they have outside the state. But we definitely recognize that there is still more to do to keep our young people safe, right? And it's everyone's responsibility and not that of just of the school safety agent. So, I appreciate your comments and I appreciate you recognizing and while my colleague has invited you to spend some time to talk more about her respective area, I won't do the same. So, yeah, I'm just kidding. I'll be more than happy to talk with you, >> Council Member Wong. >> Thank you, Chair. Um, I want just want to chime in uh with uh um council member uh Felder that uh um despite all the technology, all the AI and 20 years from now, we still need our um auto mechanics, our electricians, our plumbers, and they uh they were all when I went to high school here, they all graduates from vocational schools in New York City. And my I noticed just like everybody else and and those schools uh uh have been disappearing. So uh uh I would say that uh look into the matter and then open these schools. So uh we don't need college graduates for these kids for for these students to to become like plumbers, you know, we need them, right? So uh um look into that and see uh if you can reopen to these programs. That's my first question. Can can you talk about that? >> Sure. Um look I think uh across the system we are thinking about multiple pathways for our young people and some invol of course we want to do college now courses. We want to have access to college but some in involve early career um or or immediate career opportunities which um we do have schools that are um pursuing it. Our CTE programs are very expansive. Um, and we have our co-op tech program that is uh if you want, you know, a nice uh haircut and if you want to get your car checked and you can go to co-op co-op tech. They do an amazing job. And so I I see um Jane is here. If you want a new glass, a new pair of glasses, you could go to co-op tech like I did. And so there are significant opportunities around our our our NYC public schools for young people to get in um v vocational or or CTE programs, but they're not like the c the the vocational programs that you're describing. They're really setting up our young people with 21st century skills that they can go into and get certification to get into a career right after after college, right after high school. And so Jane, if you want to add anything there. >> Yes, just a little backup. I think um >> Can you say your name for the record? >> Nice to see you. >> Nice to see you. >> Jane Martinez Dalling. Um so one of the things that we have focused on as we've done our uh pathways work is actually apprenticeships. As you probably know, there was a law passed in the fall which uh the civil civil service law which will now allow our seniors to go straight into an apprenticeship and receive a lot of those benefits that they weren't able to before. So, uh, Chair Denova, you are correct that, um, we are really canvasing all of our agencies. Many of our departments here are actuallyed to have apprenticeships, but specific all the other pathways that we have, but we have had about 692 apprenticeship apprentices straight out of high school. About half of those have actually also gone to college part-time. Um because what we are seeing is that the more opportunities we give around career connected learning uh the more that students really want to know more about how to excel in their careers. >> Okay. Thank you. Um my next qu question is it's a fact that many middle school students are not required to read books, novels or non-fiction as part of the curriculum. um can you address that and will you commit to require students to read at least one or two books uh in sixth, seventh and eighth grade? >> Yeah, so this was um linked to the conversation that we had earlier about when some when when are we a system of schools versus a school system. I think when we're thinking about the expansion of New York City reads into the um the the the the middle school grades, what you will see is that a lot of our curriculum do um curricula do uh call for like reading um you know uh hope books and and so on. And so you'll see that uh improve in in uh significantly in in the in the upcoming years as we are um definitely uh thinking about about that. And what you know about um middle school teachers is that they do care about their books. They care about comparing books. They care care about comparing themes. Um they may not be as strong at teaching kids to read, but they can teach them to get excited about reading and and make these connections. And the first chance, I don't know if you want to add anything. >> I mean, I wouldn't really necessarily add much more to what uh chancellor said. Um, but when we're thinking about that next phase and we're looking with our curricular option partners, uh, this is a conversation that we're putting front and center because we know we've gotten some feedback about that as well. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Wong. Um one other first of all agreed reading reading books it's like a very exciting thing if if you well if you were here while the cameras uh were broken you would have known that we had uh we had some great books uh being recommended and chancellor do you want to share again what your book recommendation is >> James >> James perfect all right so all the kids out there who are watching this all many of you uh make sure you go out and go to your local library and borrow James. I would recommend Animal Farm myself. >> Good recommendation. I like it. >> They're both good. Um I I just want to ask it again in that same category of evaluation. We have restorative justice programs in our schools. Again, we talk a lot about the input. I have used it in my classroom. Incredible. Um, we're going to ask for the data, right? How many schools, how many classrooms? What I'm really interested in is how the DOE measures the effectiveness of restorative justice programming and you know, what measures are you are using to to evaluate its effectiveness, whether it's in the classroom academically, whether it's I student suspension rate, uh, satisfaction, really anything. What measures are you using to evaluate its effectiveness, >> not its existence? >> No, I I I I agree and I understand the question. I I think, you know, as a former principal during in the South Bronx during the stop and frisk era, I really um relied on restorative approaches, really got better at restorative approaches. And I think it's it's important to our system to continue to move towards um build the capacity of our school uh school staff as well as um our principles to really take on these these approaches. And for me it was always uh looking at in the classroom incidents, looking at our our our suspension rates that those were that you know continued to go down. um once those those once we build the capacity of our our staff to really address these concerns, but I'll I'll turn it over to Mark Ramperson to kind of speak to more of this. >> Again, thank you for that question and I and I appreciate you prefacing by saying that this is a a measure that you used in your your classroom and you saw the effectiveness and one of the ways by which you were able to determine whether or not that was working is by the response from the young people, right? whether or not you were having incidents in the class, whether or not there were suspensions and so forth. And those are some of the ways by which we measure this very very important work. It is really about the climate and culture of the school as well because you can actually feel the effects of the restorative approach in our respective schools. So to answer your question, with 500,000 young people having access to some level of restorative um practices, the measures of which we just recently shared are the ways by which we determined that the program is working. less suspensions or less reliance on suspensions, less incidents and young people um um adopting a conversation versus g versus a physical confrontation are some of the ways by which the way by which adults respond to young people instead of using a punitive approach. They are talking more to young people and trying to understand their why. So those are some of the things that we some of the things that we use to measure the effectiveness of the program as well. It is a is it a program that has yielded very very good returns for us with 94 students uh uh taking part in our restorative justice actions team. We definitely see that there is a great a positive effect in this initiative for our schools >> and you do have the data associated with it and the schools that have engaged in certain types of restorative justice. Do you have the data that correlates to lower suspensions that fewer uh I guess ors reports or or deans referrals that data exist? >> Yes. Yes, we definitely have the data that we can share with you for those schools that really dive deep um in direct services for restorative justice. Remember, it's also a mindset shift, right? So, you are shifting the minds of all adults in the building to take a restorative approach as opposed to a disciplinary approach. But we definitely have the data to to support the positive uh measures and outcomes. Yes. >> Good. And I would add the thing that I think is spoken about a little less but is very important is the academic component. Absolutely. >> Which is when a student is comfortable with themselves, comfortable simply saying I need help or I got this wrong. That is a a huge hurdle to overcome especially in math from my experience when they so often want to say is this the right answer the wrong answer just being able to say like I need help um is is a critically important component that I have found with restorative justice. So I am um would like to continue this conversation about both how it's being implemented and also the the quantitative measurable results of it because >> uh we also used uh when I was teacher third parties to um uh to do the restoative justice training and I imagine some are more effective than others. Um, so I'm looking forward to continuing the conversation around, you know, which of these organizations are most effective, how can we invest in them, and divest from the ones that just aren't doing as good a job, all for the benefit of, you know, the safety and and academics of our kids >> 100%. And just remember, the goal is to create a school system that's sustainable, right? And that we are training our staff to be self-reliant in that respect. >> Great. Um, for all all of you up here and all of you sitting over there, I want to thank you so much for your time, for your testimony today. We look forward uh with some of the follow-up data, but most importantly for the continued conversations about making sure our school system is working as best as it can uh for the benefit of our children a as as little as babies to as big as, you know, whole grown-ups. So, thank you so much for your time today. and we look forward to those that that work together. >> Thank you for having us. And uh as a reminder for to you as a former teacher, if if you had kids in here, they would say it's mad cold in here, mister. And >> I thought they would say it's brick. But uh >> if that's true, they would say that's true. >> I got that one wrong. In a moment, we'll be hearing from the school construction authority. Okay. folks. If we could just take the conversation outside of the chambers as we transition. Please take the conversation outside of the chambers, please. Thank you. Please move the conversations outside of the chambers. Please move the conversation outside the chambers. Everybody, please find your seats. Please find your seats. Take conversations outside the chambers. Please find your seats. Will the school construction authority please join us? If you have conversations, you may take them outside. Thank you. Please find your seats. Please find your seats. Take conversations outside the chambers. >> Okay. Got it. Got it. >> Okay. I'd like to invite the school construction authority to come join us. Okay. They will be joining us in but a moment. Great. All right. You hear our first book recommendation of the afternoon is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Pla. Council member Felder. Okay. Okay. Good afternoon and welcome to the education committee's hearing on the school construction authorities fiscal 2025 to 2029 capital plan and fiscal 27 preliminary capital budget and commitment plan for the department of education. Today's hearing will be primarily focused on the $21 billion proposed February amendment to the fiscal 2025 2029 capital plan. SCA's capital plan is an important element of the city's education programming as it provides the infrastructure for learning, extracurricular activities, and enrichment that our students crave. Every new classroom, cafeteria, playground, and educational space is a step toward a better learning environment for our city's students. The plan is mostly unchanged from the version issued in November. There are 33,417 seats funded in the plan. The same number as has been funded since the state's enacted fiscal 2025 budget added an additional $2 billion to help comply with the state's class-size law. The 33,417 seats funded under this plan is less than the 70,000 that SCA has previously testified to needing to reach class- size compliance. However, seats are still opening up from the prior capital plan, and SEA has been prioritizing smaller new capacity projects that can open seats in a more targeted way across a larger number of schools faster than full school openings. We hope to hear more on how the SEA plans to open seats across districts in need in a timely manner. Accessibility sits at $800 million. An investment that will bring much neededed projects to schools, but is not sufficient to bring all schools to full accessibility, meaning we are still many years away from reaching maximum practical accessibility. SEA has previously discussed how they look to add accessibility elements to other projects. However, and when we look forward to hearing how this can bolster the accessibility program and get more space at our schools to be accessible for everyone. We also look forward to getting updates on important capital improvement projects like internet speed upgrades and facility enhancements, the status of the removal of temporary classroom units, and the status of new construction projects at many new schools across the city. We will cover these issues and others and hope to get some additional transparency and guidance on how to best support SCA in their work. I would like to recognize that we have council members Wong um Felder and Majority Whip Hanks and Council Member Joseph. I would like to thank the administration for coming to testify or the school construction authority for coming to testify before the committee today. Now, as you are not officially the administration, I don't have to uh administer the oath, but hopefully you'll be telling us the truth anyway. You may you may begin your testimony. >> Good afternoon, Chair Denowitz and members of the New York City Council Education Committee. My name is Nina Kabota and I am president and CEO of the New York City School Construction Authority. I am joined by the deputy chancellor for school operations Kevin Moran who you were with all morning uh from New York City public schools and by Coraloo vice president of capital plan management for the sea. We are pleased to be here today to discuss the proposed SCA New York City Public Schools fiscal year's 2025 to 2029 5-year capital plan, which currently totals $20.97 billion. Since the SEA's inception in 1988, we have opened over 319,000 school seats, more than the entire student population in the fifth largest school district in the NA nation in Las Vegas. In our history, through fiscal year 25, we have obligated roughly 77 billion, which equates to about 17,000 construction projects. We are immensely proud of our history and I am happy to be before you today to talk about the future we are working towards for the public school students of New York City. Our current five-year capital plan spans fiscal years 2025 to 2029 and is broken up into four main categories. Capacity, capital improvement, healthy schools, and mandated. Each category is dedicated to addressing key elements of the buildings in our portfolio. From safety and security to making our building sustainable, adding needed capacity, and enhancing student learning environments, we know our work is vital to to how our students learn, play, and grow. and we strive each and every day toward our mission of achieving the highest standards of excellence in safety, quality and integrity. We believe in our mission so much so strongly that last month we hosted a forum bringing together the top architects and engineers in the country to launch our design excellence program. Our team at the SEA is striving to push the boundaries of what is possible in our physical school spaces. Understanding the direct impact of educational facilities on learning outcomes. We have told the architecture and engineering communities that New York City's students are the most important clients in the world and we are demanding nothing short of the very best. Uh this past September, we celebrated the opening of our largest building ever, a 366 seat high school in Woodside, Queens. We are immensely proud of this project as it is is it was designed from start to finish by our own in-house architects and engineers. This site, which once stood as a big box store and then as a co testing center, is now home to four high schools, including a D75 school. While we are incredibly proud of this project, it was just one of the 15 projects that were completed by September 2025, adding 6,600 seats to the public school portfolio. Our new schools are funded through the capacity category. In the proposed February 2026 amendment to the plan, we have allocated a total of $6.98 billion to support seat creation throughout the city. This category is further broken down into distinct programs to address specific needs. The first and most recognizable is new capacity, which totals $6.13 billion. This program funds our new schools and new seats in existing schools and will be used to comply with the state's class size law. This funding will allow us to create over 33,000 seats citywide through various types of projects, including new buildings additions annexes mixeduse buildings, lease spaces, and interior room conversions that provide targeted support to schools in existing buildings. To date, there have been 14,318 seats cited in this plan. Of those 1,349 seats are newly identified in this February amendment from eight new projects. Roughly 20 months into our current capital plan, I'm happy to report that we have cited 43% of the seats currently funded. But capacity is more than just the creation of new school seats. In addition to the new capacity program, there are three other programs that are included in the capacity category. replacement, temporary structure removal, and early education. The replacement program is currently $400 million and is allocated to schools whose building must be replaced, most commonly due to an expiring lease. A new building for PS 106 in Queens is an example of a vital project that is being funded through this program and is scheduled to be bid and awarded by the end of June and will open in September 2029. The temporary structure removal program funded at 250 million allows us to continue the work of removing transportable classroom units and other temporary structures that were placed in schoolyards during the enrollment boom of the late 90s and early 2000s, but have become more permanent than any of us wanted. Out of the roughly 350 TCUs we started with, we have only 23 remaining without a removal plan at just five sites. In addition, there are 54 sites that have temporary structures and 16 of them already have an identified removal plan. Through this program, we can remove what in many instances have become an eyesore for the school and surrounding community and either build the needed capacity at the school or return an enhanced brand new playground back to our students. A great example of the impact of this program is the project we did at PS 1951 196 in the Bronx. We removed one of the temporary structures which allowed us to open an addition in 2024 which included not only 25 classrooms but also a new kitchen and cafeteria, library, art and music rooms, science resource room, exercise and playrooms as well as reading and other resource rooms. Now, we plan on bidding and awarding the next phase of this project, which will remove the second temporary building on the school's property and deliver a beautiful outdoor play space. The last program in the capacity category is early childhood, which funded at $200 million allows us to continue the transfer of the former ACS sites to the New York City public schools portfolio. As I have outlined, our capacity work encompasses a wide range of projects, but we understand the topic on everyone's mind right now is class size. Today, and as we did through a joint letter when we published the February amendment, we reaffirm our strong and coordinated partnership with city hall and New York City public schools to meet class- size compliance requirements. This is a shared systemwide effort that aligns capital investments with operational strategies to deliver tangible results for students. We remain fully committed to ensuring every student learns in an environment that supports stronger outcomes and individualized attention. Since the start of the Mani administration, there is a laser focus on class size compliance and the SEA and New York City public schools partnership has strengthened. Meeting class- size mandates at this scale requires thoughtful planning and execution that goes beyond just building and adding more seats. We have taken a complete 360deree view of the school portfolio going subdist by subd district looking at both individual schools as well as clusters of schools to identify targeted solutions from a range of options that include capital and non- capital strategies. We've also aligned capital strategies with New York City public schools survey data from all principles as part of this effort. We now have a clear understanding of our facilities from our principles who know their buildings best. We are examining where additions and annexes are possible and aligning that with the survey data. We have also taken a holistic geographic look as to where key real estate is needed that can alleviate several schools in the surrounding areas. Lastly, we have also identified key land use changes and improvements that will make it easier for us to identify sites and site schools. And we look forward to working with the teams at city hall on these potential actions. It is the partnership between our two agencies led by city hall and the marrying of capital and non- capital strategies that will allow us to achieve class size compliance. Our work is guided by four core principles. Maximize existing space across the system to its fullest potential. Pursue practical quick wins such as room conversions that rapidly increase instructional capacity. Target investments to schools and districts with the greatest space needs. And advance equity by prioritizing underserved communities with the highest deficits. Every seat we site is one seat closer to smaller class size for our students. We are working in coordination with our partners in labor at the United Federation of Teachers and Council of School Supervisors and Administrators. The data shows smaller class sizes are critical to student success, but achieving them requires sustained de investment, strategic educ uh execution, and continued collaboration across all levels of government. With the right resources and flexibility, we are confident in our ability to deliver the highquality learning environments New York City students deserve. We are committed to this work and look forward to sharing more with the council in the coming months. But let us not only focus on our new buildings. Projects in our existing buildings actually make up the majority of our work. With a portfolio whose building's average age is 70 years old and with 200 buildings over a hundred years old, there's never a shortage of work to be done to keep our buildings safe, watertight, and modern. In this proposed amendment, we have allocated $7.95 billion for work in our existing buildings through the capital investment category. The capital investment category of the plan is divided into two primary programs. the capital improvement program or CIP totaling 3.43 billion and school enhancements projects totaling 2.91 billion. Together, these investments support our continued commitment to maintaining safe, modern, and inspiring facilities for students across the city. Through this work, we expand and modernize critical spaces within our buildings, helping ensure that our facilities support equity and excellence. The CIP program focuses on essential upgrades and major repairs that keep our building safe and functioning at the highest standards. These projects in include both exterior and interior building work, addressing life safety and security systems, as well as key structural elements such as roofs, parapits, and windows. Maintaining this infrastructure is vital to protecting the safety and well-being of the students, staff, and communities who rely on our school facilities every day. In the current plan to date, we have awarded 156 projects under the CIP umbrella, focusing mostly on exterior modernizations totaling roughly $1.1 billion. The school enhancement program totals 2.91 billion and is designed to strengthen educational opportunities and improve the day-to-day learning experience for students. These investments support school technology upgrades with data and bandwidth enhancements, the realignment of existing facilities to better meet instructional needs, bathroom renovations, science lab improvements, and programs such as innovative, diverse, equitable, accessible spaces, and career connected learning. One of our biggest priorities in the past several plans has been to increase the accessibility of our existing schools. I know this has been a top priority for the council for many years as well and we appreciate your advocacy and partnership in this key area. This plan allocates $800 million towards making our buildings accessible to school communities. An example of our progress together, New York City Public Schools and the SEA undertook a full program accessibility project at PS236 in Brooklyn, which also houses a D75 school. This project was completed in June of 2025. Thanks to this work, the building accessibility profile rating changed from not accessible to fully accessible. Some of our work in this comprehensive project includes the provision of accessible entrances, ramps, lifts, and elevator, student accessible restrooms, a fire alarm system with strobe lighting, all together improving safety and inclusivity for all occupants. For the FY2025 to29 capital plan, we will build on the successes of the previous plan, continuing our focus on citywide equity. In collaboration with our advocate partners and other stakeholders, we have established new citywide goals. We will prioritize projects that increase the accessibility of all primary buildings across every school district, raising the accessibility threshold from 33% to 40%. Additionally, New York City public schools will focus on improving accessibility in district 75 across the entire city, aiming to ensure that 75% of those buildings are at least partially accessible with 50% fully accessible. We anticipate that our efforts to achieve our goals will improve accessibility in over 60 school buildings, further advancing our commitment to progress and growth. As you know, in the FY 25-29 plan, we created a a category called healthy schools, which focuses efforts and funding on the health and well-being of our students, our buildings, and in turn our city. Most of the 2.32 billion allocated for healthy schools category is for electrification. In this plan, we have 1.4 billion allocated to electrify existing school buildings and convert them to all electric heating. This extensive work involves replacing fossil fuel burning boilers with high efficiency all electric heat pumps that will provide ventilation, cooling, and heating for the entire school, including their kitchens, cafeterias, auditoriums, and gymnasiums. Buildings account for nearly 70% of the city's greenhouse gas emissions. With over 1500 school buildings in our portfolio, our work represents a sign significant portion of the city's efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and combat climate change. Since the electrification program was initiated, we have 18 school electrification projects in construction with more in the pipeline. Combining plan funding and additional funding from DECAST, we aim to fund over 30 more electrification projects in this plan. We're also continuing to explore ways to reduce our reliance on the electrical grid with renewable sources such as ge geothermal and solar in addition to researching innovative solutions that extract heat from thermal sources. 390 million is dedicated under the healthy schools category to physical education facilities and reflects our commitment to ensuring that every student has access to safe modern spaces including gyms, playgrounds, athletic fields, and swimming pools that support healthy lifestyles, teamwork, joy, and movement while fostering stronger school communities and more vibrant neighborhood spaces. These investments not only enhance the student experience during the school day but also create welcoming shared assets the communities can take pride in beyond school area hours. Also in this category, there's 150 million for the cafeteria en enhancement experience, which is intended to improve the overall atmosphere, functionality, and student experience in school cafeterias. It focuses on creating welcoming student centered dining spaces through upgraded equipment, improved layout and flow, visual enhancements, and supports that encourage healthier choices and smoother meal service. The goal is to make cafeterias more engaging, efficient, and align with New York City public schools commitment to nourishing students in a positive environment. Since the inception of this initiative, we have completed 295 sites with 50 additional sites to be completed by the end of August. Lastly, in this proposed amendment, we have allocated 3.72 billion in our mandated category to meet code agency remediation and other requirements of local law or city agency mandates. It also includes funding for wrap-up insurance for contractors on our projects as well as prior plan completion funding to finish the projects that started in the previous plan. As I close, I want to thank the council for their long-standing partnership to our schools, which is evident not just through your advocacy, but in the funding that is currently in our plan through resoa allocations. These are important projects for our schools and the community, and we thank you for your continued support. I would like to leave you with a few images of a few of the buildings we will be opening in September, bringing more capacity to these neighborhoods and furthering our work to comply with class size. Okay. So, in addition, what's it? >> Well, we could just skip it. uh is at 4012 Fort Hamilton Parkway in Burough Park, Brooklyn. And the next slide, um PS at 46107th Street in Woodside, Queens. an addition at PS116 in Jamaica, Queens. Is that the addition edition at IS- 216 in Fresh Meadows, Queens? And no, it's not. It's the middle school. And this slide is actually the middle school that's serving an annex and feeder school for John Dewey High School in Graves and Brooklyn. We look forward to celebrating the opening of these these buildings and all of the over 4,600 seats we are opening in this September with you, the schools, and all all of our partners. I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to testify before you today, and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. >> Thank you for your testimony. Um, did I see bicycle parking in one of those buildings? I'm sorry. I have a I kind of have a law about that. We're trying to a lot of students wanted to bike to school and they couldn't. So that you're putting bicycle parking there. Do it in all your schools. Um I want to start with your testimony. I have a question. We just want to clarify. Um uh the impact of a program you did at 195 196 in the Bronx and on the mainland. Uh you removed one of the temporary structures allowed you to open an addition in 24 25 classes. Then you tout kitchen, cafeteria, library, art and music rooms, science resource rooms, exercise and playrooms and reading and other resource rooms. This is in your testimony on my p I think my font is a lot smaller than yours. So which is page f it's fine. Sans Sarah very good. Uh and then on the next page um you spoke about practical quick wins such as room conversions that rapidly increase instructional capacity. What I want to know is how many in these conversions, how many art rooms, how many exercise rooms, how many libraries have had to be converted to regular classroom space? Have we lost any of our arts, music, library, uh, exercise, etc. places to comply with the class size law? >> We have not converted any of the art rooms or any specialty classrooms for that purpose. We are looking primarily at either uh unused offices or larger classrooms that could be subdivided. >> You came up like you wanted to add something. Okay, fine. Um, so in the previous testimony, DOE said uh that enrollment, they're projecting it's going to be flat. Does the D does the SEA have a calculation for how the 4656 new seats slated to be added September 26 would impact the city's overall class size compliance, assuming that enrollment does stay flat. I'm sorry. Can you repeat that one more time? >> Yes. How will the new seats, the four 4,656 new seats impact the city's compliance with the class- size law, assuming, as was testified earlier, that enrollment is flat. I mean, again, as we've shared before, space is a critical next part of the class size implementation. As these seats open, we know we're working with schools and working with SEA in this comprehensive process to ensure that they're utilized by schools um and uh in in order to further class size implementation. >> Uh oh, first of all, can you say your name for the record? Aaron Johant, >> thank you. I didn't quite understand that answer. Right. We have more seats coming in. Um, how do you have an estimate as to how these new seats will impact the city's compliance with the class size law? >> Question. >> Sorry, it's been a very long day. Those chairs are not the most comfortable chairs, but these are. >> You're doing great. You should just pull one up. They're they're very comfortable. Yeah. >> Um, so you're referring to the 4600 new seats, >> the 465 56 new seats that you said will be added in September, how that will impact the class size compliance. >> So when we we when we looked at it last year or for 25 26 um exemptions at the 17 schools that were impacted by these seats um increased compliance by about one percentage point. >> I'm I'm I didn't ask about exemptions. I'm sorry. Can Can you repeat your answer? I'm ask am I asking it wrong question. Let me ask it again. Sorry I'm apologize. This has been a very long day here. So let me >> I know. Yeah. Everyone take a breath. We've been here for many hours. Everyone who's here since the morning, thank you for being here. Thank you for testifying or thank you for >> planning to testify. Long day. Let me ask one more time. You testified 4,656 new seats. >> Yeah. >> Correct. Okay, that'll be opening September of this year, se 2026. >> Does that impact the city's compliance with the class- size law from the state? >> Yes, it will. It compliance. Thank you for bearing with me. >> Thank you. In what in what way? >> In what way? >> To what degree? >> To So, sorry, we we read this we we read this a little bit differently when we first saw it, but I think what we can do is take a look. I want to take that back to talk to our team. Um the exact impact on compliance um varies based on how the schools are utilizing their space and again uh enrollment at that point. But let us take that back and make sure I get a proper response from our data folks. >> Okay. It is under the assumption as was testified earlier under oath that enrollment will be flat. That was based on uh principal survey data. Usually when you see a post-it note passed that means there's addition to the answer. Um and also we we would like it broken down by community school district as well. Okay. Um there are seats that have been allocated by district and subdist but not cited and then seats that are currently designated as citywide. Is sea prioritizing working on either of these two categories of seats more than the other and if so why? Um, no, we are not prioritizing one over the other. Um, we're working actually both simultaneously. So, >> thank you. Does the SA believe that all districts that need additional seats to be in compliance with the class size law have enough seats funded and designated in this plan? >> Uh, I think we're still kind of working through that. Uh I think when in your uh opening statement you talked about 70,000 seats. Um it's certainly come down from there, but we're still going through the data. I think I mentioned in my testimony about us really I think being very laser focused on both operational uh and capital strategies to address class size. So, we've been working tirelessly, which is why Erin and I are very tired uh today, uh to come up with a solid plan for every single school. >> Okay. You previous or the SCA rather has previously testified or shared that 70,000 >> correct >> was the target number, but you are now amending that. What is the new target? >> We don't have the new target yet. We're still working through the data. >> Help me understand that. You had a target of 70,000. >> You don't have a target now. We do not because the 70,000 was just based on brand new seats uh rather than any non- capital or operational strategies. So we suspect that it'll come down you utilizing operational strategies. >> Okay. When you I mean what's your timeline? When do you expect to have a target number of new seats that need to be added to reach this 100% compliance? I say in the c in in the coming months. Couple of months. >> Couple months. >> Yes. >> Okay. Should I set an alarm on my phone? >> So you don't have you don't have a new estimate. Um there are 33,417 seats currently funded in this plan, which is certainly far short of that 70,000. We don't even we don't know what the new target is. Um but is it possible to increase this number within the current level of funding in the plan >> to increase the number of funded seats? >> Yeah. current >> um >> it's really difficult for us to estimate the number of seats that will be funded because based on the projects but based on the site we identify but we are expanding the classroom conversion program which is a more cost effective and time effective approach to provide target uh relief for schools. So hopefully we'll be able to lean on that program a lot more. >> But not converting music and art rooms. >> Correct. >> Oh, please say your name for the record. >> Sorry, Coraloo. Thank >> Thank you. Um, so there are clear limitations. You've laid out an increase in the number of seats and the speed of adding them. Um, one possibility that's been discussed in the state is extending the timeline for the class size law by two years. So full compliance would need to be achieved by 2029 to 2030 school year. Given current funding levels, how many seats could SCA realistically have open by September 2029? So since the class size law was enacted in 2022 um and through September 2029 based on the sites that we already have in the pipeline we have about 9900 seats from the current plan and over 30,600 seats funded by the prior plan for so for a total of 40,500 seats. Um I I do think it's important at this point to clarify that um what's been agreed upon I think with the uft and CSA and Erin I I can pass it to you if you wish uh all class sizes over the legislative caps are exempted in schools without space uh to comply that will be impacted by capital projects that are already planned and cited. So capital projects do not have to be completed for that space exemption. So in other words, we need to site as many um and tie it to schools that would be impacted by it, but we don't have to be done with construction because as you are aware, it typically takes about four years between design bid and construction for it to be online. >> I am aware. >> Yes, you are. >> It's a long time. Um, so can you break down for us how many seats have been added and how many how many schools are now in compliance and then separate that out disagregate it from um the sort of commitment to that commitment to compliance which is what you just shared. Right. >> Right. Right. Okay. So again, we are working in close partnership with SCA. Um we're taking a look at the space that's available in our or the space where schools where space is needed. um and looking as I shared before a blend of capital and non- capital strategies and approaches um that will inform both the continued work on the capital plan as well as >> Okay. Do you need more time on class size? Do you need more time to comply with the law? Is that what is what is sea's position? >> What is sea's position? If there are dependencies on new buildings sighting, uh depending on I think how the numbers shake out, I would say yes. It would be beneficial. >> Do you need more time? >> To have more time. Yes. >> Okay. Yes. That's like a yes. I'm just asking. But again, if you're unable to to separate out, you said in compliance with class as agreed upon by the uft, uh I think you said CSA. Um how how many of those are are you what percent of those seats are in the committed to and what percent are actually completed and built? >> Um I I mean the numbers I stated earlier about the 40,500 seats, those are cited. They're in construction or almost in construction. Um so those those will be complete by 2029. We actually even have some sites that um are almost in construction that won't be ready till 2030. So, it is likely that only these 40,000 and maybe a little bit more uh especially with uh our room conversion projects could come online before 2020 2029 or earlier. >> So, I just want Thank you. And I I want to repeat what you said and make sure I heard it right. To build a new school Yes. on average four years. >> Correct. >> And what about an extension to an existing school? The same four years. >> Uh yes. So um it takes about a year to design two to three years to bid out publicly and then um and then construction and and a lot of our annexes or additions actually are connected to the main building. So there is work to do in the main building as well. >> Okay. Now you've cited numbers, costs. Great. um a number of seats you're able to complete within the current uh envelope of funding. Um the mayor, the administration rather, has proposed uh rating the rainy day fund uh and increasing taxes on middle-ass New Yorkers and Moody's uh had shared that you know this could lead to a downgrading of our credit rating. Is that correct? >> I've heard that. Yes, >> I've Okay. How does that impact the work that you were able to do and the funds that you were able to procure in order to build new schools and how would it impact the number of seats that you were able to build? >> We we cannot talk to uh speak to the administration's decision. Um but just a reminder, the funding we use is capital funding that's normally obtained by issuing bonds uh not necessary associated with expense budget. Right. But if borrowing costs increase as a result of lower lower bond rating, would that impact sea and your ability uh to build as many seats? Wouldn't it increase borrowing costs? >> Certainly with additional funding provided will help us with our work to uh move closer to compliance. As we mentioned before, the six billion. >> Okay. I'm sorry. I I Okay, I know it's a long day. I I either feel like I'm asking it wrong or you're answering a different question. If our bond rating is lowered, would that increase cost to borrow money? >> I feel like we might need someone from OMB to really speak to that. We're not found experts. Um we just use the funding provided by OMB. >> Okay. >> Sorry about that. >> Okay. Well, I I would I would surmise that if it costs more to borrow money. I would really love SEA's opinion on the exact impact that would have or even a projected impact. I mean, these are things that you think about years and years out, right? like how much you how much money you have, how much costs to borrow, what's funding the school construction authority, and where those dollars go, how many how much it costs to to build seats. Um, I'm going to turn it over to Majority Whip Hanks for her questions. Thank you, Chair. And yes, it's been a long day, but um I think we can try to figure out how to answer my questions. So, thank you very much, President um Kabota, and thank you, Deputy Chancellor Moran. Um so, big thanks to the school construction authority for um working. So, we've done some really great projects uh in the last term and uh the Staten Island's Northshore is better for it. Um two years ago we launched the Northstro action plan that promised that's promises um thousands of new housing units. Uh one of the projects that is going to be conclu included is a K through8 school in Stapleton and we have now a recent project to add more school seats for Wall Street in St. George. Um, and I believe there could be an opportunity to build another school at the Hungerford site on Tomkins Avenue. Can you expand on how um these projects seek to address our burrow's class size compliance? >> Um, sure. Thank you, council member. We are very excited about the upcoming projects we have that includes 25 Wall Street site. We have another site in Edmonton that's a little bit more south part of this borrow and like you mentioned we have the former Hungerford site that's ready for us to uh potentially build a school near. We're very excited for those projects. are a lot of schools not currently in compliance in Stland and we're hoping that those projects will provide it the much needed support and we would love to partner with your team your staff to help us uh to move those projects those sites across the finish line um so that we can you know deliver more seats in a more timely manner. >> Thank you. And we can definitely talk offline about how um the the number of those seats are going to be adding to the class size. I think it's important for all of the council members to know like the the the proposed sites and how they're going to be adding to that so at least we can answer our constituents. But one more question Sharon and I'll promise I'll get out of your hair forever. So, as as a graduate of LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts, I am one of hundreds of children in over the past 30 years. Yes, I say 30 because I graduated in 1990, um that have a three-hour daily commute uh to to one of New York City's specialized high school. Yet, Sten Island is the only burrow that does not have a performing arts school. And I really would like to have a commitment from um SCA that we will work in earnest to construct one. Even some of the ones that are part of those plans that we discussed like the former Hungerford site or um we have to get this done in this in my last and final term. >> Well, thank you uh very much appreciate the question. Kevin Moran. Um I I would say uh largely the the new construction projects are very very excited on Staten Island with uh President Kabota's reference uh to 25 wall which we see as an immediate uh relief to high schools within that area. I know it's not designated yet for for purpose uh is being built for high school seats. So we're we're working with superintendent CEC and others to make sure that that a sound decision is made to address the very real issue of overcrowded. Can you just say for the record how many seats that are slated because I know we haven't we haven't worked out whether there would be an annex to a to a local school or but if could you kind of >> let us know how many seats we're talking about. >> Yeah, it's it's about 700. So, it's a significant relief uh to neighboring high schools. Um I would say also that that the St. John Villa development will also relieve some of the areas more immediately. Um school uh uh well there's schools in the district in your district. I won't name each individual school but it would benefit uh from both of those uh six to 12 tandemss and then a PS school. Um in addition we did uh previously walk uh Snug Harbor and and SEA did endeavor to do a feasibility uh study on what a performing arts school could look like. Um, so we're certainly active in discussions there and the Hungerford site is something I will absolutely follow up on to see if there's anything. >> Yeah, just so I'm on the record, I'm not married to a predict a location. I think it's more important to be looking at having a school that satisfies that and in in the arts in Staten Island. But if it it could be I mean there's tons of sites that we're looking at and talking about when it comes to uh the development under the Northshore action plan. We're slated for over 2500 units of housing. And so one of the main things that constituents ask for is infrastructure and school seats. So we just want to make sure that we're in line. Thank you so much, chair. >> Thank you. Majority whip. I got to get that that title right. Majority whip. That's that was that was the acting she learned at LaGuardia. Mimming. Um I I I just want to ask about project delays. Everyone's favorite. And this has been a concern particularly for members, not not just when our local schools are delayed, but um coming out of last year's preliminary budget, SCA said they wanted to engage members at an earlier stage in the process of resoa projects in order to delay um in uh in order to avoid delays that can pop up later in the process. And you know the big joke is like we fund a project so that our successors can cut the ribbon on it, right? Well, it's funny to us. Um, how has that project looked in the current fiscal year and has the SCA been able to flag things earlier in the prog process in order to mitigate delays? >> Yes. So, thank you for that. So, since our last meeting, um, we have piloted a quarterly status report for some council members. I think it was received pretty well. Um and we've met with most of the new members to introduce ourselves and sort of give general guidance on the res program because I think some of the uh issues we were up against also was uh the estimate would be obtained from the school and then it comes to us and then it's a year later by the way right uh a year later and it's underfunded and then that's sort of starts some of the delays um and I know that uh deputy chancellor Moran spoke at the expense hearing And it wouldn't be bad to reiterate some of the reforms we've made to sort of the payment process that has actually sped things up uh on the construction end. >> Yeah, absolutely. And uh first and foremost, I'd like to thank you and the council broadly for their support of schools. I I want each council member to feel assured that when monies are assigned to a school uh that we are responsive and diligent and getting that project done in a reasonable time frame. So with that in mind, we sat at the at the last hearing. Um we last year was some 700 jobs in our backlog. Um and we took a look at really what were the influencing factors that caused these said delays. And to President Kabota's point, there was a lot that happened. The first was potentially a quote that didn't line up, increased cost. It could have been a scope change where things significantly changed. So we set out and put in a few business rules. Number one, we were we were using a process that didn't work uh well. Our vendors weren't being paid. We were advancing capital work with tax levy dollars and trying to true up at the end of the year. Vendors were not happy with that process. Uh our teams were not happy. And so what we did with the support of OMB and the SCA was developed a process by which we got gathered all information in one system with a certificate per se a local a low-level work number and we track the job with a scope and quote that we had fidelity towards. We didn't allow the scope to change and say I want to add this one more thing I want that would only slow us down. So with that in mind, um we started the capital reimbursement process in December uh and push over $210 million dollar for dollar on capital. It's one of the best reforms we've done in a long long time uh in partnership with the SEA and Division of School Facilities. So the the good news here is that I could actually give every council member a a report now where their projects are, where they are, if they're awaiting a purchase order, whether they're in scope, design, award. Um and we're endeavoring to put that on our public website. Uh one of the things we want to make sure is that there's there's a level of transparency and accountability that everyone uh from a parent coordinator, a CEC president, a principal, etc. can all see the project and and most notably the project you award, you could see where it is. Um and I could also text you pictures as the project moves along. So >> I I could say on the record we get we did when we did the football field at JFK, pictures every other week. >> Uh now we're doing the the softball field at Walton. All the work looks really beautiful and uh I know you personally uh provide those updates but let's get into just some of the numbers. At last year's hearing you gave a figure or the SCA gave a figure that 10% of member projects in the prior five years had not yet been completed. Has that number been updated to reflect some of the work that um that you shared with us today? Yeah, in terms of the 700, we're down to 70 right now. The jobs that were in our backlog, um I can give you actually by year now and and categorize them out. I can share an actual report with you, but we're down to 70 uh that are waiting to start from nearly 700. >> Yeah, the committee would like to see to see that report. Um, and just to give just to give some some some color on current jobs, just so you all know what we're working on, we're working on 40 bathroom upgrades now, 20 hydroponics labs, 20 gymnasium upgrades, 20 elevator jobs, over a dozen playgrounds, a dozen libraries, nine cafeterias, seven STEM labs, six athletic fields. So, we are keeping busy. Um, our vendors are in a much better place and the system is is working as designed with sea uh and our team making sure that work is happening >> and your vendors are being paid on time. >> That's right. >> 100% of them. >> That's right. >> Wow. That was See, that was an easy answer. >> Was it very painful >> more answers like that? Yes. 100%. Yes. Yes or no? Yes. >> If you spoke to him last year, it was a different story. But now we've reset and we've made sure that no vendor works at risk anymore and that we do have the certificate to proceed. So therefore, we can print the purchase order and they can invoice right off that purchase order. >> Thank you. I'll turn it over to Council Member Joseph. >> Thank you, Chair. Thank you so much. Happy to see all of you here. Thank you, DC, for really stepping up and changing the system and upgrading. Last year was not great at all. So, I would definitely love to see a detailed report on all the projects that I've funded in my district where they are. And um I'm still going to ask for PS27 and the playground. The kids call me all the time. Every time they call me, I'm calling you. It's the kids. Um so my question is around um class size. Um last year's hearing, um you testified that 70,000 additional seats would be necessary to meet the class size goals in the law, and there are less than half that number in the 5-year capital plan or only 33,417 seats. Is that still your estimate or has it changed? Or is it true that 57% of the seats funded have no sites and only 12,426 seats are projected to be completed by September of 2028, deadline for full compliance? >> Um so it is true that we have uh cited 43% uh of of our seats. you know, we continue to site pretty regularly. Uh the the exercise that we've just gone through with New York City public schools has identified a a bunch of sites that could be could receive an addition or annex and we're going through those one by one before we say it publicly. But we I mean we are 20 months in and you know almost 50% cited is is pretty good. We have a lot more sites uh in our pipeline that we're going through right now and 217 has restarted uh after the delay because of the weather. But >> Right. Right. Right. I know mother nature was not on our side. I knew that. Um so I hope the kids that are listening heard that mother nature was not on our side in that project. Um also um 39% of the seats in the plan are unspecific as to district, subdist, grade level. And when the state class law size um when the state class size law and local law 167 require New York City public schools and SCA to publicly um report the details and the needs of the seats by district and grade levels. >> We fully believe we're in compliance with no 167. All the required reports are um regularly refreshed as uh new reports become available. Is it is it built as as you go along as you see the needs and then you start citing the sites or how does that work? >> So every um local 167 requires quite a few uh documents to be published. When we published the when we have uh updated reports such as the amendment or enrollment projection or housing data uh and blue book data, we would uh go back online to post the most recent report. >> Do you have a timeline as to when you'll be posting that? um when normally it's either in the summer for some of the reports then after November. >> Okay, thank you for that. Um is it true that highrises um are going up quickly in many communities and especially in my community where schools are already overcrowded and likely to become more so in the future. Are there proposals to include schools in these plans? And I know I did a project like that on um on Coney Island for early childhood and um it's also a supermarket desert. One of the things we did with the developer was make sure that there's a supermarket and an early childhood center because we know there's a growing family. Is that one of the things you're considering as developers are, you know, building in our communities is schools being added to that plan? >> Yeah, that's a great question. Thank you for that. Um, so yes. Um, if it if they're not triggering a school need, uh, we we work with as many developers as we can for, you know, sort of a mixed use be at the base of their building. Um, Council Member Wrestler has uh introduced us to one in his area. Thank you for that. Um, and we, you know, we we do look to see if we can um have an F bump for them as well. So, it makes it beneficial for them as well. But yes, we work very well with them. >> Wonderful. Thank you so much. Um, chair. I'm done. >> Thank you, council member. Council member Wrestler. Brilliant. Thank you so much. Um I'd like to firstly I could use an extra pillow here. Um for the vert I always like a little extra height because I need it desperately. Um I'd like to firstly ask you uh deputy chancellor president about something that doesn't directly maybe it reports into Kevin I'm not actually totally sure is ECF. Um ECF does like one project every five years which seems like barely a drop in the bucket. Um we have significant challenges around compliance with the class size law. This is a cost-effective way for us to significantly modernize improve expand our school capacity. Why does ECF do such little work? Well, I think when you look at it, first of all, it's it's a it's a great question in the way of thinking that are there opportunities to build classes uh and class size uh issues be addressed through um some building developments and private developments. Um and that's a great question. ECF uh does do those projects. I think having contractors interested um is the number one piece and and there's a lot to coordinate. I think if you go to 80 flatbush you could see uh they just recently opened that and two schools of PS and Khil Jabbrron and that was a really um it's a really wonderful project. So so looking at how we replicate that and ramp that up at at a speed we can talk definitely talk to Jen Maldonado who leads that work for us >> as you recall deputy chancellor 8 is in my district um PS287 which is in the beginning stages of a ECF project is in council member Hudson's district but if you walk out on two different sides you're in district 33. So, I'm I'm very familiar with it. And we have a housing crunch where we need to be building a lot more housing. There's like everybody's fixated on adding 12 units on top of every library site in the city. But we have a thousand I don't know 800,000 school buildings in New York City. Many of which have real potential for development above where we could expand class meet achieve compliance with class size law, build new school facilities. This just feels like a tremendous opportunity that we're doing almost nothing. Um the projects that are happening I'm I'm pleased with I'm supportive of but we should be doing so much more. This just feels like a great opportunity for the Mumani administration to really make ECF a relevant agency and have them do real work rather than one project every 5 years. So appreciate if you'd look into it and I know that there are folks at city hall who feel similarly. So I hope we can advance something there together. Um, President, I have heranged you in the past about the fact that we put money in for resaya projects. Um, and it takes six months before they show up in your budget. And so there's nothing that you or DCF for that matter can do for over six months after we allocate funds. And it's just dead time. These schools are desperate for the resources that we allocate. If it wasn't for us, we wouldn't have new bathrooms. Wouldn't have air conditioning in our gyms and auditoriums. Wouldn't have all kinds of upgrades for steam and tech and everything in between. How can we fix this? New administration, fresh set of perspective. How can we make sure that when we're putting money in for exciting new projects that we're not losing six months before we even start? >> Yeah. Um, that is a great question because going over the timeline, right? So typically reach out to or schools reach out to you in the sort of February time frame goes through the city budget. So July one then we we get the the lists then we go to OMB for certificates to proceed. We cannot start work until we receive those CPS. So I think we do have an opportunity would love to maybe talk to OM to see how we could streamline that process. So from the July to December, January, I think we just received uh some of the CPS uh just a few weeks ago. So I mean that that's an entire year and I think we can do better. And so happy to to talk to our uh OM. >> You think we should give Sharief a really hard time on Wednesday on this topic? Is that what you're saying? Because I'm happy to do it. >> I like Share, but >> I think it's not what I thought I heard you testify to, but I'm I'm just kidding. Um, everybody likes Sharief. Um, uh, I want to focus a little bit on class size compliance. Um, I really appreciate that you're your willingness to work with us to try and identify up sites for an annex for PSA. That's number one class size challenge for us in district 33. But I'm hearing from a number of my elementary schools across the district, especially in Greenpoint, that they're really concerned about class size compliance. We know we have a new elementary school coming to the neighborhood. I believe 2029 opening and after an extensive 20 plus year engagement process with the community we are moving forward. Um, but I'm very concerned that we don't even with that new school have the ability to comply with the class S law and meet the demands around early childhood education. And just wondering with this administration's focus on early childhood education, how is that being incorporated into our analysis of capacity in our schools and potentially the need for more school space? Um council member as we uh explained earlier uh capital strategy is only one of the toolkits to help us achieve class size compliance. Uh which is why we have had a really in-depth conversation with our partners at uh New York City public school to go through district by district, subject by sub district and school by school to really identify uh solutions for them. Not every school potentially needs a capital strategy. there are other non- capital strategy that might be available. So, we're exploring all the the multiple pathways to identify the most um efficient uh meth ways to help schools achieve near compliance. >> All right. Well, I just want to say plainly, I think in Greenpoint in the north side, even with the new school coming, I think we have a crunch that I'm concerned about. And the other piece, Could I do one more question, chair? Do you mind? Thank you. Um I think that I I will make this preamble as brief as I can, but 20 years ago, the Bloomberg administration cited a lot of small schools and I don't feel like anybody in the ensuing 20 years has really done the analysis of these great these small schools are doing great and we need to figure out how to ensure that they can serve more kids. I'll give you an example. The Harry Van Arsdale campus has three high schools in that building and they're all great high schools. They're all bursting at the seams. We don't have enough space to accommodate any of them and there's no plan for how we grow them. You've got the A tech campus three blocks away that's mostly an empty building which is not thriving and yet I haven't been able to ever get cooperation from you know folks to say how do we expand capacity for the high schools that are working where there's real demand in our community and and make that happen. What kind of thinking and analysis is going on right now of these are the small schools that are working that are wanting to serve more kids that would benefit families across our community to have if they had more capacity. What's the thinking there? >> Well, the commentary there is right on target. Um, we're looking at about 495 schools that have expressed interest in needing more space. And they're kind of like in three different buckets, if you will. One being potentially like reprogramming a school, minor renovations, the second being some more modest renovations, and the third being potentially an addition, an annex or new construction. But your first point around how we utilize space is is what the chancellor has charged us recently and we spent a couple three days together um in Long Island City focused as teams with the district planning, school construction, our facilities and saying where do we find places like that? Where can we use proposals to better um match the attributes of a school and the enrollment patterns and then better utilize empty space. So it is that is very active on our minds about how we best use across small schools potentially in large campuses. I hope you'll consider us as partners because >> nobody knows the schools in his community better than Eric Denowitz. I know what's happening in the schools in my district, too. We'd be really happy to give you insight into where there's space, where who's doing great, who where there's demand. So, I want to just thank uh thank you all for the testimony today, Kevin. I think you've been testifying for about 15 hours, so good luck with the rest of the afternoon. Um, thank you all and thank you, Chair. >> Thank you, Council. And he said he's committed to staying here till midnight. Did I get that right, Kevin? >> I'm going next. I'm ready. Uh I I did want to clarify one thing in your testimony where you said a 30 thou 3,666 seat high school in Woodside, Queens, that was actually four schools. It's it's act you're actually building as four schools. I'll just I'll just share my opinion that once you start breaking up related to small schools, once you start breaking up these schools into smaller schools, you really do lose economies of scale and it does make it more challenging to to program properly to even out those classes. so that we can have small class sizes without losing um a lot of space. Um so as your So I would like to see more of the bigger high schools like we used to have in the Bronx all broken up. Uh and there's not a lot of space um or flexibility for everything from AP classes to the space for those art classes to the space for the self-contained classes and and everything in between. Um so I I I you know I want to share that because it's it is really important to the education that we lose a lot of programming and we lose the ability uh to program easily as easily as possible when um when we have such small schools. But I do want to turn over to council member for her questions. >> Thank you chair and I am very glad to see Kevin here. Uh just for the record, we have a date on May 30th in front of PS97. We want to make sure the AC going to be installed that time after two years fighting, more than two years fighting. Um but I appreciate your work. Be transparent with us. And I have question for our CEO of the SCA. Um I appreciate Kevin take the shot but uh in general in our district schools even city council allocated the funding in we don't see anything build or anything here anything back in two years in general like say we give funding for a school to build new playground I allocated money in 2024 and we haven't hear anything back at all and it's very hard to get response from SCA every time the answer always it's in process it's in process phase one phase two we have no track record can you give us a better direction to the public and also parents and people living in the community how we check every single project if the city council member fund the project >> yes thank you for that Um yeah, I I think it's the problem's twofold, right? We talked about earlier getting the CP done earlier so we can actually start the project earlier. So that's one side of it. The other side of it is communication with your office, the public, and I think Kevin talked about uh trying to pilot getting like a website for the projects that DSF manages on so that the public can see it. So, we would love to sort of talk to you and your office to see how best you would like that communicated or publicized. Uh, but yes, I agree. We do need to probably engage earlier so that at that there's an understanding of where the project is in process. It shouldn't take two years for you to see any action on. We should be communicating that earlier in the process with you. Whether it's underfunded, whether there's a conflict with another project that might be going on that doesn't allow us to access the playground. Um, those things all should be discussed with you and your office. >> And the other thing is I understand SCA want to get fully funded before to move any project. Um just for the record the other city agencies partner nonprofits they never get their money funded ahead of time like say a lot of nonprofit they have to deliver the service first and then they get reimbursement. I think SCA is very fortunate to get the money before you guys um really actually invest to our community. the money sitting there for years, we don't see any progress. If the money we sit in the bank probably we get better interest and we want to see as city council member a mother my kids go to public school we like to see the work get done for our kids not we invest in a project five years later we still don't have a chance to cut the ribbon or my kids even don't have a chance to go to the playground her mother fund the helped to fund the program so it's not a fair for all the kids in New York City and also um in the public public school system not see any progress about all the projects in in the place. >> I I hear your concerns and and I think we we are on notice to uh better this process. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member. Council member Wong. >> Thank you, Chair. Um, a very specific question for my district. Uh, how many new seats are planned specifically for uh, council district 30 or school district 24? If you have the data, it will be great. >> May we send you the list after? >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> Absolutely. Yeah. And do you have any update on IS-93 because it's the construction has been going on at the seventh year. Give us one second. >> Okay. Um, so just just for folks uh that are new to this, um, so it was a $19 million uh uh exterior masonry roof and parapit window, elevator uh accessibility project. Uh, I know that it it did face COVID delays and all of that, but and then they we did have to do some redesign. Um, but we will be done by fall. this year. >> This year? Yes. 2026. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, chair. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, last two questions. The uh is is there uh the SCA had previously testified it would take four billion to reach maximum practical accessibility in schools, meaning the level required to update all schools that could be physically upgraded without being fully rebuilt. Does SCA have an updated estimate for how much it would take to get to maximum practical accessibility? >> Full accessibility remains a goal of of the New York City public schools and school construction authority, but that's married to some logistical obstacles uh where some older buildings are landlocked and we >> I just want to I agree. I we know there are logistical challenges. I I just I'm just asking the four billion was testified last year. Is that still the same estimate or has that estimate changed? >> I don't think it's changed much. We're looking at right now we have 15 projects that are funded at $24 million for just those 15. So I think the the numbers probably going to hold true. >> Okay. Thank you. And lastly, are there any the um plans for remedial action in the school kitchens that are extremely hot? >> Yeah. Uh we started um to be we started with one using window AC units were appropriate and were practical u to make sure we relieve and and focused on ventilation. The the newest uh work we're doing now is having split units and we're working on a project right now with the SCA to do six kitchens with split unit air conditioning and hopefully we could replicate that after we we test it and see how it performs. But the goal is to to bring the temperatures down the kitchens. Do you have a survey of how many kitchens are are too hot for the workers to, you know, safely work in the kitchens and then what the timeline is for the installation of those AC units? >> Well, any kitchen that's too hot, we we stop uh hot meal service and reduce the heat immediately. Uh we don't use an air conditioning sites in the summer. It's not an issue right now um in terms of uh this time of year, but as the temperatures warm up, we do see as an issue. So, uh, the survey I don't have at the fing at my fingertips, but I definitely have it. I can get it to you. >> Okay. I'm I'm sure you understand. I know you're working on it, but this is a critical issue for, you know, for for the health and safety of our of our workers and our and our students. So, we'll be following up with that as well. Um, I want to I want to thank you all for your your time today, for your testimony. Uh, there's certainly a lot to follow up with uh regarding the SCA. Um, but this is, you know, this is the future of our city. This is the future of our school's system and therefore the future of our kids our kids' future. Uh so thank you for coming in today and we will I will call the first panel. Okay. I'd like to call up uh once they clear their things president of the United Federation of Teachers Michael Mulgru. We also have Henry Rubio. >> Okay, fantastic. Dynamic duo. Let's it I'll leave it up to you two to decide who goes first. >> You wanted me to go first. You wanted me to go first. Good afternoon. My name is Henry Rubio and I'm humbly serving as the president of the Council for School Supervisors and Administrators. And on behalf of nearly 1,800 inservice and retired school leaders and administrators, thank you chair for the opportunity to be here with you today. Uh today I want to focus on just three matters right now that we think are paramount. Number one, student safety. Two, early childhood education. And three, what allows for schools to function effectively and deliver highquality instruction. Let me be clear. We strongly support the city's investment in early childhood, including two care and the growth of threeare and prek, but expansion without improved infrastructure is too great a risk. Right now, early childhood directors in CBOS are managing the complexity of running schools, staffing, compliance, engagement, operations, all without comparable investment in leadership capacity or workforce stability. This is just not sustainable. Our families deserve and need pay parity. Educators and CBOS that I represent are doing the same work under the same standards of those in DOE settings, but are paid significantly less. The vast majority of them are are women of color. This is a stability issue, a quality issue, and an equity issue all at the same time. Parity alone is not enough. Providers also deal with delayed reimbursements and funding searches that leave them exposed. But we recognize that that process is getting better. Centers cannot operate for months without payment or absorb the risk of enrollment fluctuations. We will continue to see turnover, staffing shortages, and uneven program quality, especially in those communities that rely most on those programs. >> I'm sorry to interrupt. Uh Sergeant, can you make sure that if people are talking there, they either leave or go downstairs. It's disruptive to the hearing. Thank you. >> Thank you, chair. We must also be clear about school safety for school leaders. This is not something abstract. It is a daily operational and it's urgent. There are too many schools without sufficient safety agents or the necessary safety technology and equipment that principles are asking for. There are still schools without an assistant principal who essentially coordinate safety, respond to crisis, and maintain the stability of both students, teachers, and all staff. And safety cannot be separated from mental health. Investments in safety must be paired with counselors, restorative practice, school-based supports that prevent crisis before they escalate any further. And finally, we must invest in people and systems that make schools work. Expand professional development for school leaders, including training around artificial intelligence, literacy, mental health, and uh and to continue to address the real cost of our class size implementation. We should focus on the space constraints that make compliance impossible in way too many buildings. This requires strategy through new construction, retrofits, and identifying additional space on a timely manner. School leaders are responsible for turning policy into real practice every single day. If we need these investments to succeed and we must ensure that we have them to support our children and our families. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. Thank you and thank you for having this hearing. Uh I do appreciate all the work that we've been able to do together over the years and all the programs that you have supported which we know when we run a program as you all know because we invite you to come see them that goes directly to the schools. It doesn't get lost in the building across the lot over there. Uh so for us let's just talk with one thing we've been here before about power professionals. Earlier today, you had um very distinct questions for the Department of Ed, specifically the Carter case rise, which is now 1.5 billion projected. Uh and there's also an additional over a half a billion dollars in all other legal legal processes against non-compliance on special education. So this city has for years now, it continues to make the decision to spend $2 billion of taxpayers money because they're not supplying services to children with special needs, but they won't pay a par professional. They will continue to say the starting salary for par professional is $32,000. Do you the cost of the par profofessional bill and I thank city council and all of you for championing it and bringing it saying enough is enough. The cost has been estimated by the city itself between 254 million and 400 million. Just tell me why the city would continue to make the decision to spend $2 billion a year in non-compliance on special education versus just hiring people and being in compliance when it actually will save the city a lot of money. So, it's just obscene at this point. We look forward to working with you to continue to get this done. On class size, as you have heard from my colleague Henry, look, it's got to be realistic. We need a plan. There is one component of the law that has not been complied with yet, and that is the capital program. Uh we know that the past administration was somewhat, let's just say, passive aggressive when it came to complying or making this law work. We now seem to be on a much faster track. The last couple of years, the school communities, the principles, the administrators have all done a great job putting in plans. So, we now have a much better idea what we need to do. But now, we need the school construction authority, school facilities to be ready to go to get this work done. We've been waiting for 50 years for someone to tell the school construction authority to do something and they actually do it and follow up on it. But that's what we know we need. And when I'm in Albany, this is all I'm getting from the city electeds who will represent us in Albany. Where is the plan? Where is the capital plan that we know we need this to get to the finish line? Early childhood. Um I want to go a step further. If as we expand this, this is something we are so enthusiastic about. We think it's a phenomenal idea. We think it is a gift. Not just a gift, but something that we could be very proud of of New Yorkers to say that we have universal child care. But it's not going to be easy to get there. And as Henry stated earlier, we know this not a question. You're going to need changing tables. You're going to need safety devices for small children. All of this stuff is not, oh, does someone think they need it? We know these things are going to be needed. So, we don't want to hear anymore what the this the department of edge like, well, it's up to the whoever's in charge. No, if you have two-year-olds, you need changing tables. You need all sorts of sanitary devices. you know, we know these things are necessary and have to be there and looking forward to doing that. And then my other favorite, I don't even know what to do at this point. How many times I've said here and talked about central spending and consulting contracts. Try to get a handle on this. We will partner with you on anything you want to do in terms of getting this. I'm looking I just looked today quickly and I'm looking at this there's $7 million in these contracts. I'm trying to remember what they're called. professional development for leadership and teachers. I don't know what that I know what professional development for leadership and teachers are, but I don't know any of these consultants. I don't know what the hell any of this is. And that's like $7 million. And we have $10 million for support services for IT. Have you ever tried to call the Department of Ed for IT support? Right. So they're spending $10 million minimally. This is just looking quickly today. I didn't go through all of it. This is just looking quickly. They just continue to do this craziness and there is a culture inside of the Department of Ed that came about and it is now entrenched where if there's actual work to be done, it seems that the people who were hired to do the work, the first thing they do is put together an RFP to hire a consultant to do the work they were hired for. And if you go to look at any of this, they'll shift the cost to a superintendent's office or to a school district and say, "It's not our cost, it's their cost." Because Central wouldn't waste money like that. When it when you dig into it all, it is all an absolute complete waste. We have phenomenal administrators who can do great work. We have teachers who can do great work. They don't like consultants running around their buildings, period. and across this river, right across this Hudson River in Jersey City, the parents are up in arms because they're like, it seems that we're hiring more and more consultants, but they all seem to be people who used to work in our schools. So, we just got to call this out. It is what it is. We have to stop this this oversight on DOE central spending, especially on the contracting out has to come. We have to start lowering the percentage significantly on a yearly basis they're spending because it's the only way to stop this automatic knee-jerk reaction to everybody over there just wants to hire another consultant. >> Thank you. >> Thank Thank you, Mr. Presidents. It's great to see you two together. I think 30 years ago, I don't know if the principles and the teachers always got along so well. All right. I remember >> I didn't have this job. >> Well, no. Um it's it really is um it's really true and and whether it's in the classroom or from the the you know looking from the bird's eye view the contracts are really outrageous and we're here fighting over you know what seems like pennies for these learn to work programs that were sort of justice programs the seed programs and yet that's one contract that's one of these consulting contracts and we know we often have to look no further than inside our own classrooms and inside our own schools to find so much of the expert that we need. Um I President Mgru, you know, you you speak to teachers all the all the time. >> What has been their uh reaction to the class- size mandate to the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of the class size mandate to to and even some of the the capital construction that is or isn't going on? like what are you hearing directly from teachers about their experiences in the schools where they are supposed to have lower classes? If they're having lower classes, what is their response if if it they're not in compliance? What is that like? >> So, in the first two years it was, oh, we're never going to get this. This is never going to happen. uh now that we're over 60% and people are seeing that the money is actually flowing to the school directly because there was a real fear rightfully so that principles would just be sent budgets and they were being told that the money be in there and lo and behold it wouldn't be in there. So we've broken through that by it's a d you know it's a discrete funding line for the staff to do that. So teachers are are as they've said they have so they're able to get into a better relationship with more of their students for the schools that have been able to do this for the classrooms that have smaller sizes where there's construction. I'll just tell you there's always one thing you're always going to hear about dust. Dust is big. Okay? Because we're asking school construction authority or school facilities to do work. You can't do all of the work in the summer. You can't get it all done in the summer. certain things should start. We all understand that. But, um, it's always comes down to making sure that everyone's following the rules of doing construction inside of a school building. Uh, but this year, the this year, I mean, it's the between the class sizes and the cell phone ban, it's probably been the most significant impact I've ever seen in a classroom in one year. >> Huge fan of the cell phone ban. Huge fan. And the teachers feel it, too. and the and the students feel it feel it too and they feel when they have those smaller class sizes the the attention they're getting and how their academics improve. Um the DOE needs to hire 6,000 more teachers. Um how does the uft currently working with the DOE to hire 6,000 more teachers that are needed next year? >> Well, we run an extensive and aggressive uh new teacher program. We try to work we as we work with different entities who are trying to attract uh we will go out and speak to them. We will have officers go to education schools and we really take great pride. We want the children of our city to teach in this city. >> Um we're we're more than happy when people want to live in New York. They come, they fly, they sometimes they stay for a long time, sometimes they stay for a couple of years. Uh New York's not for everyone as we all know. Uh but the thing is to get the support once we they're here. It the thing that we focus on the most is a new teacher program where we get them in August when we know they've already been able to they've been hired and we continue to run that for the first three years of their career. And one of the first things we do for them is we are able to help them get their student loans because they are public servants. Many of them don't know that, but that's a big deal. Uh when you can really minimize the student loan uh from all the nasty vultures out there. >> That's true. Um President Rubio, you mentioned uh safety know your one of your number one things. And can you talk a little more about what it means for a school administrator when they don't have enough school safety agents either during the day or after school? What does that what does that look like uh for the school community? >> Yes. So again, like Mike, we visit schools on a weekly basis. And I visit schools where principles are concerned and stressed around the fact that just a few years ago, they might have had uh eight safety agents and now they're down to three or less on a good day. And when you don't have those safety agents there, um students don't feel as safe, right? You you you're creating an environment where there's a slower response to anything that happens in the school. You don't have the number of agents that are patrolling outside the perimeter of a school. uh agents that are pro patrolling the inside of the building as well. Uh just I want to say last week we had a school where the intruder came in uh and left a a threat got into a principal's office and and left a threat there. It's it's it's a police matter. Uh but again that was a building that had more safety agents before, right? There's a whole protocol that our our people now are doing an incredible job that the but that's because teachers and administrators are carrying the lift of those approximately 1500 agents that are not there. >> Someone else is doing that work. Chair, >> right? I think it's >> it's just landing on our shoulders. >> Right. Deans and teachers. Yeah. >> Yeah. In spite of the support that is not always there for whatever reason, our teachers, our administrators, our paras people serving lunch all do the work together uh to support our kids. I always find it um amazing and I I I always relied on our school safety agents. They were there to keep us safe. >> Yes. Um, and have you spoken with the what have those conversations with the department of education big been like in terms of uh recruitment or retention of the school safety agents? What what is your sense there? >> I think that uh what you heard from Mark Gran today has been the consistent message that uh safety agents it's not a job where they can say it's not paying enough. The bottom line is you cannot recruit enough folks >> to become a parah >> correct >> to become a safety agent >> uh a crossing guard >> uh childhood and these early childhood right it's a matter of there are other jobs out there they're going to do and if they do come in they don't stay long because they'll go into corrections or NYPD or something else that's more lucrative and pays better and so um it's really hard to keep them in that job and we simply have to pay them better. >> Yeah. Um, regarding the paras do you how many par positions do you represent? >> 20 28,000 >> the posi that's that's how many positions and what's what do you >> No, that's how many powers we have at this point. We can't get the department of ed says it doesn't have the ability to give us the number on the positions which we know is not true. >> That's not true. >> Yes, we know that's not true. I have I'll we want to put out a number or let's just say we're short 4,000 powers. They'll give them a week, they'll come back and say, "No, that's wrong." But then we'll get the real number. >> And then the reality also is uh that they I think I heard them say there's like 5,000 subpar that doesn't mean anything. >> Those are just names in a computer. That doesn't mean they have to come to work. Many of them are sometimes college students. So if they go to school Monday, Wednesday, Friday, they can only work Tuesday and Thursday. So I got one child. I'm the principal. I need to be in compliance. I need to support the teacher in the classroom. and I don't have a consistent par profofessional in the room to support that child, right? And so that number is is is a makebelieve number. I mean, it's a number that people in the community that that's not solving the problem. >> But we also know that the par professional's job isn't just the employment. It's the relationship they build with the student, with the class, with the teacher. I mean, it's >> the key is the relationship with the student. They get to know those their student and in ways that no one else ever will because they know their responsibility is to help that students whether they have anxiety or fearful they're fearful or whether they have any sort of anger management issues. They they know their job is to figure out helping that student really deal with the challenges of keep of of getting through a day without causing harm to themselves or others. And they do a great job. Yeah, I know council member Jang has questions and then council member Joseph. >> Thank you to president. I have a question about dial a teacher. >> Dial a teacher. >> Yes. Can you give me more information about this program because I have schools don't have afterchool programs? >> Okay. >> Can do you think DOE should actually fund this type of program directly? Well, well, dial a teacher is a program that the city council has funded for years, and it is a program where we have seven different languages now, uh, where students call in and get homework. It's a homework help hotline basically. Uh, but you're doing it with a teacher. Uh, and you know, we've expanded it. We do a lot of it as on an as an online service now because the students felt more comfortable with it. As students develop new ways of learning and doing their work, you have to modernize to it. Yes, because there's a lot of especially if there's not an afterchool program. There are a lot of students who don't have anyone to help them with their homework and that's a difficult thing to do in life especially if you're having a hard time. I don't want to go into math. I know nobody likes new math. Nobody's liked new math for 40 years. Whatever the new math is, nobody likes it. Okay? But you know, you don't have to worry about that. We have people who know whatever the new math is. Uh so we'll take care of that. But yes, it is something and it's constantly utilized and >> and it's only the funding only third 300 around 300k. >> That's it. >> How many students actually you guys helped in this program? >> It was 83,000 last year. >> 83,000. So it's much cheaper to invest in this type of program, right? >> Yeah. >> Cheaper than like a consultant, right? >> Cheaper than consultant. We could hire one consultant to give me leadership development >> and I help you said 18,000 students, right? >> 80 >> 80,000 students. >> So how many >> according to new math 80 is greater than 18. >> Yeah. 80 80 and then $1 million. How how much you can imagine how many kids we can help. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Joseph. >> Three rapid questions for you. Oh yeah. Male control. Yes or no for next four years? >> No. >> Teacher centers and childcare navigators. >> Childcare navigator is I'm sorry. Childcare navigator is that was developed between ourselves and two companies. One comp and uh one company was dealing with the financial side in terms of what a a family might qualify for for assistance from a city, state or federal government in terms of child care. uh as well as what the costs are at the actual centers themselves um and the other company was where everything is. So one was dealing with the paperwork and then the other was where the locations are, what type of students they serve. We that's all together now in what is known as the childcare navigator. So you you could put in your zip code and say put in the different parameters you want. It would take you about 5 minutes and you would then know exactly what your options were for child care for you and your child. This is something we put together. I do believe I I I'm pretty I do believe that the city has an an RFP out for a hundred million contract to develop a navigator which they already have access to. So the navigator is to me we developed it because we thought it would be the pivotal tool to actually help families. It only came out of frustrations because our own members were constantly struggling looking for child care that was appropriate for them or affordable to them as well as the different parents in all the communities we work inside the city were constantly frustrated by it and that's why we went pushed towards that. >> Does it also cater to zero to two >> or Okay. >> Yep. >> Thank you. Thank you, Chair. >> Thank you, council member. I I want to thank >> mayoral control rapid fire question. >> Rapid fire, too. >> Uh I'll take the first one. The other one's more uft. Uh >> I would say um no to four years. I think that u we haven't heard enough about what the vision for the education of our city is yet. >> Okay. uh from the mayor and the chancellor. Uh I don't have a personal uh grievance of any sort, but again, every every school in the city of New York and in the state is required the principal with their chapter leader to develop a plan for their school. >> And what about a >> and then I'm sorry, uh former chair, then we align the school's budget to that plan. >> Okay. But the a 40 plus billion dollar bureaucracy can't tell us a plan for the future and how they're going to align that budget and make it transparent. So I think if it's good for the good for the geese, good for the gant. >> Okay. >> What's the plan? >> What's the plan? >> What's the plan? >> That's the million that's the hund00 million question. >> Too often we >> too often have initiatives >> but not necessarily a strategic plan. >> Okay. >> And before we hand someone a license for four years, I think we should have more information. So let's try two. see how it goes. >> Okay. >> Thank you, council member. And as you know, we had our hearing on mayoral control and a number of the things that were mentioned here was brought up there, >> including is there a comprehensive educational plan for the city instead of just initiatives, including issues about contracting, oversight of contracts so we can really get into making sure our money is going to the kids and to methods that we know work, not necessarily consultants. But I want to thank both of you for the work you do for our city every day, for the work on behalf of you, our members, and for the work that you're doing really in collaboration, which is it's really incredible to see. Thank you so much for outstanding hearing. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I'd like to now call Donald Nesmmet, vice president of Local 372 of DC 37. >> Okay. Oh, there you are. Good afternoon, chair uh chair denit and distinguished members of the council. I'm Donald Nesbbit, executive vice president for local 372 DC37 asked me. We represent 24,000 members at schools uh 8,000 plus uh school lunch workers. Our members as school lunch workers serve 946,747 public school children um and get them ready uh for learning. School lunch workers unload, prepare, and serve food every day, including during the summer months. School lunch is critical in the students health and well-being. Um, it also ensures that students have the nutrition that is needed throughout the day. It is important that there is sufficient kitchen staff to serve uh these menus. Local 372 respectfully requested the city allocate $10 million towards the hiring of 1,000 school lunch workers, bringing the total in in service up to 9,000 plus. This will help reduce the strain on the current workforce while still continuing to fulfill the breakfast and lunch initiatives set by previous administrations. School school lunch workers must also accommodate dietary restrictions including medical and religious restrictions. School food programs um accommodate such restrictions. Schoolful workers must follow multiple sets of strict guidelines to ensure school food children are eaten safely. Breakfast in the classroom is one of those programs where we we prepare we prepare for and also prepare for lunch. Local 372 extreme is extremely supportive of these programs as well as universal lunch. Every child deserves to come to class with a full stomach. So additional 1,000 school lunch workers uh it would make it uh uh is essential um and so it's not as difficult on the current workforce. Another struggle uh faced by school lunch employees is updating the existing um inadequate cooling and air exchange uh within our kitchens um that has become a struggle for decades to school lunch workers. The majority of schools built between 1930 and 1990 lacked the proper design and operation for adequate um indoor air circulation. A 2017 report entitled uh too hot to learn detailed the significant lack of air condition where the mayor and elected officials pushed for support for air conditioning in teaching spaces which was essential. That same energy and leadership has to go into the health and safety of thousands of school lunch workers. Uh we thank city former city councilman uh Tgerga I mean other members of the council at the time in pushing for um for resolutions to this uh local 372 request that DOE and SCA come up with a comprehensive plan to evaluate the school's outstanding kitchen ventilation needs throughout the five burrows and we request more findings uh more funding be allocated towards a plan uh pursuant to this evaluation. Again, we extend our gratitude to the council. Uh we hope that we have your support um in a request for $10 million for more staff within the school kitchens and also additional resources to remediate these working conditions. Thank you. >> Thank you, Vice President Nesbbit. Um do you have an approximate vacancy rate of current budgeted headcount? >> Uh we we're short. Uh so Skufu has um I want to thank the council first. two years ago, we came here asking for $20 million. Uh chair Rita at the time, uh Rita Joseph pushed for along with the council members for this funding. This funding went into not only uh uh education around uh nutrition within schools, but it also went towards um staffing, which was critical. But what we're finding because I sit as a trustee at the retirement system as well, the um headcount that we get in, folks are retiring and and leaving at the same rate. Um and so um it's just filling the gaps, but we we're still short and we think about a thousand more uh workers will be adequate in order to uh fill these gaps permanently. and and can you speak to some of the struggles with hiring and recruiting uh new new employees? >> So, one is as uh my um colleagues within labor uh spoke before at the principles union and um others and uh President Mu has spoken to uh retention and recruitment is the same across uh the board uh for city workers. uh with in an affordability crisis where things continue to go up, uh we have to figure out a way to raise wages uh for workers, um starting salaries is a is a big stopping point for a lot of folks. Um and so that's the main issue um in in how much folks are getting paid. Um if you are taking a job and still can't afford to pay your rent, right? Like and still have to take a second and third job in order to live that just doesn't work at some point, >> right? And then I mean how many employed people are also living in shelter for that very same reason who are in unions, right? Um so and we hear it time and again um as you mentioned whether it's uh serving food, early childhood education, school safety, our wages need to go up. Um do do you have an estimate about how many lunchrooms or what investment would need to be made to ensure that the workers are safe and air conditioned even in the old buildings. What kind of investment that would require? >> So the estimates I think two years ago were about $70 million um in order to take care of this uh project. I will say um grateful to the school leadership uh some of the money that they've had in their own budget. Uh Chris and his team have actually put money into a list of outstanding projects in ventilation systems that they needed to upgrade within kitchens. So um that according to that list, he's put some of his own money. So I would guess that it's not the same amount um as it was two years ago, but there's still a great need. and and we and we work just so you know uh we work closely with Chris and team and labor management forum to make sure uh that we're up getting up toate information um and our team and reps are also out in the fields to ensure that we're looking at these um conditions and that we're reporting back uh where there are needs. >> Okay. Thank you so much Mr. Vice President. >> Thank you chair. Thank you for your testimonies. >> Um, we're now going to continue the public testimony portion of the hearing. I remind members of the public that this is a formal government proceeding and that decorum shall be observed at all times. As such, members of the public shall remain silent at all times. The witness table is reserved for people who wish to testify. No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table. Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recordings as testimony, but may submit transcripts of such recordings to the Sergeant-at-Arms for inclusion in the hearing record. If you wish to speak at today's hearing, please fill out an appearance card with the Sergeant-at-Arms and wait to be recognized. When recognized, you will have two minutes to speak on today's topic, the Preliminary Education and School Construction Authority budget. We will hear all in-person testimony first and then turn to testimony on Zoom. If you have a written statement or additional written testimony you wish to submit for the record, please provide a copy of that testimony to the Sergeant-at-Arms. I will now call the next panel. And if at any point I mispronounce your name, I apologize. You'll correct me for the record. Um, Angelie Hernandez, Connie Chen, Adrina Ro, Amina Jallow, Aneldi Santana Condelier, Paulina Milusa, and Ammy Eredia. You may approach the deis. down. If you have any came once again. >> Sorry. Miss Alison, didn't she come? We will begin this panel. Um, we'll start from my right, your left. Uh, you'll state your name for the record, begin your testimony, and remember, you have two minutes to testify. You may begin when you're ready. Hello, my name is Angelie Hernandez and I attend the Young Women's Leadership School of the Bronx and I'm a youth activist with the Yaya Network. Today I stand here before you all because as a student from a lowincome black and brown school, I would love to see the city's budget actively prioritizing the youth mental well-being within my school. A frequent problem is conflicts between students after a fight breaks out between two students. Uh the two are suspended for about a week or two. However, when they return back to the school, not only are they behind on their school work, but the tension between the two will remain, with some cases being that another fight will occur. Although there is a restorative justice club within our school, um many have not even heard of his existence, including myself. However, I know that the club could be doing so much more for the community, but the limited budget has held it from its full potential. That's why I'm asking the city council to invest $80 million to expand mental health and restorative justice practices within New York City and its schools in order to create a safe space for its students. We can fund this cause not by filling the open positions for school safety agents which students have frequently stated that cause who distress and unsafety for many of the students here. Thank you for listening. >> Thank you so much. They'll res you'll begin when ready. They'll reset your time. You worry about you. Just go ahead whenever you're ready. >> All right. Good afternoon to the education committee. My name is Connie Chen and I speak to you today as an immigrant student attending Stson High School. Some students around me are worrying about their next math test, college applications, or their working clubs. Immigrant students are worried if their family will be here tomorrow. We have additional responsibilities that our peers never have to stress about. From translating important documents to being a parental figure to our siblings, even with these burdens, immigrant students so preschool system every single day. I remember when a student from my school jokingly called ICE on one of his friends. Despite it being a joke, his friend was terrified that ICE would come and take him or his parents. The fact that students even feel comfortable joking about this should tell you that schools are not adequately informing their students. We should not fear that our schools might comply with ICE. Yet, we have every reason to be afraid. Dylan Lopez Contras from Ellis Preparatory Academy, Jill Thomas from Golf and Collaborative High School, a six-year-old student from Public School 89. All of these names are students that have been detained by ICE due to the failure of their schools and their city to protect them. Students already faced enough stress. Don't burden them knowing that any second they could be left without a family to go to. Imagine being a kid and all you want is support from your parents. You open your front door and everything is exactly how it was when you left for school. But your house feels empty. The laundry is still being dried. Mom's book is still on her nightstand. Dad's coffee mug is still on the table, but they're not there and you don't know if they'll ever come back. That has been real. Sorry. That has been reality for so many students in New York City and we're counting on you to make sure FIRE has no place in education. We want the city to fully fund protections for both immigrant students and their families. We want baseline funding for the immigrant family communications and outreach, which which expires in June. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Perfect timing. Good. >> Please make sure you're um you can push the button on the base. >> Good. Good afternoon, council members. My name is Adrina Rokim, and I'm here today on behalf of the Yaya Network to speak about a basic dignity that too many students in our city are being denied. Imagine a student sitting in class when she suddenly gets her menstrual cycle, maybe for the first time. She's confused, scared, and has no products. Can you imagine your own child facing that panic? And if no product is available, the humiliation of leaking through her clothes in front of her classmates. Yet, our schools are failing them. This panic is far too common. Students get their periods abruptly with no warning and no resources. The anxiety of that moment is a burden no child should carry. In 2016, New York City made history as the first city in the nation to require free menstrual products in schools. But almost a decade later, implementation remains a failure. A 2023 survey found that 85% of NYC high school students still lacked access. Just last year, a lawsuit was filed alleging the DOE is still in flagrant violation. But students routinely missing class because they cannot access what they need. Even when products exist, they are often behind a payw wall or are so low quality they don't work. For students from low-income families who make up over 70% of NYC public school students, an extra quarter for a pad or tampon is an impossible choice. It is inconsiderate. It is inequitable. And it is a healthcare issue. You have the power to change this. We need dedicated funding and accountability for reinforcing the past legis the past legislation that the city has failed to implement. Menstrual products are not luxuries. I would argue that they are as essential as toilet paper. I urge you to make menstrual equity a reality for every student in New York City. My colleagues are here today demanding funds to support the services that make our schools safe and supportive communities, including funding for restorative justice and counselors, not cops. Dedicated funding for menstrual products is one more way to increase students sense of being safe and cared for. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Next. >> Good afternoon. My name is Angeli Santana. I am 17 years old and a senior at Academy for Excellence in Leadership. I am I am also a youth leader with Make the Road New York at the Bushwick campus student success center. In my role, I guide my peers through every step of their post-secary planning, exploring options, and applying to colleges and navigating financial aid. I also support them in a social emotional aspect of decision- making, helping them stay focused, motivated, and confident about their future. When I begin high school, I wasn't sure what path to take. I was torn between psychology and nursing. But after completing my youth leader summer training and doing deeper research, I discovered my true passion, nursing, a career where I can make a direct impact on people's lives. Being a youth leader has shown me not just about how how essential student uh student success center is on campus. It provides students with personalized one-on-one support that helps them navigate high school and prepare to for college with confidence. Without it, many of students will be left to figure out the complex process of FASA and TAP on their own, often missing out on opportunities that could that could change their future. My family story shows the difference a student success center can make. My big sister, who was part of the center, was first in our immediate family to apply to college. She is now a first year nursing major at cutuni city tech. Watching her support students and serve as a role model inspired me to step into the role and become a youth leader myself. Now I can pro I can provide the same guidance and encouragement and inspiration my peers that I once received. This work not only taught me how to help others but also to grow, lead and unite my community towards their dream. The SSSE has given me a family of peers and mentors who push me to strive for excellence every day. They remind me that the support and determination, anything is possible. If funding for SSSE is cut, thousands of students will lose asses to guidance that are truly changed the trajectory of their lives. We will need the city to commit to 3.3 million this year to sustain the student success center across the New York City supporting these centers. >> Thank you so much. Thank you. And remember, you can submit the rest for testimony. Um, thank you. >> Thank you so much. Um, just if if this panel could raise their hands like h just raise your hand if it's true. Have your teachers or administrators or adults in your school spoken to you like about ICE and what that means in your school um and any guidance or support on the issue. So what I'm seeing is for in in none of your schools, it's Tyver Young Women's Leadership Academy, none of your teachers or administrators have spoken or given you guidance on ICE. Okay. And can you just talk briefly maybe for 15 seconds on on if it was impactful or not? What that looked like? I feel like it was impacting because they told us about our um like the rights that we have um so that like if ICE comes to your door like what you can do. So I feel like it has >> Thank you for sharing that. Um I I want to um and raise your hand if you've had res if you've been taught restorative in your current school restorative justice practices as part of your daily class or like in school activities. Okay. So, clearly there's in your particular schools more that needs to be communicated about ICE, something that's facing so many of our schools and our students and restorative justice, which we so deeply care about in this council. Um, I want to thank the four of you for your advocacy, for your testimony, um, and you know, of course, the work, the discussions we've had outside of this hearing. Um, thank you so much. I'm going to call the next panel, but before I do, just if you do at any point need a translation, you'd like to testify, you need translation, uh, please see the sergeant up here, uh, gracias. Thank you. Uh the next panel, Serenity De Jesus, uh Ashley Fato, Daniel Ruiz, Nija Pulley, Ishak Beco Jia Jiang Jiang I apologize, you'll correct me, please. and Daniela Rodriguez. Thank you. Okay, we can begin on my right, your left. Starting with you, sir. Please state your name for the record and you may begin your testimony. Whenever you're ready, sir. >> Hello, education committee members. My name is Josh Hang and I am a sophomore at Styverson High School and a fellow with Friends of the Highline. I am in support of the transit authorities allianc's expand student omni campaign because I believe we students should have universal access fair communication regarding deactivation and a better process for replacing lost or deactivated omniards. Now before I begin I'd like to make it clear that some of the information I'm providing is specific to Syson High School. Although there may be some common ground with information having the omni cards are is an important part of every student's commute to and from commitments. However, since the debut of OmniCards, there have been a lot of issues with it, most of which is covered in today's testimony. As a volunteer in my school's guidance office, I have seen firsthand the amount of Omni replacement forms my school's transport coordinator receives daily due to lost cards or omniards ceasing to work. Most students who submitted a Omni replacement form were due to the Omni Card not working. On December 4th, 2025th, exactly three months since the school year began, 528 Omni replacement forms have been submitted with 284 of them being submitted due to Omniard season of work. Styson ran out of Omniards on March 2nd, 2026. This morning, we received an order of 200 Omni cards 3 weeks after we had initially ran out. In the month of March, we received 185 Omni replacement cards in counting. The ATS system is supposed to trigger a new omniard delivery when a school's available Omniard falls below 300. Since we received 200 today, does that mean we'll receive another delivery based on previous experiences? Most likely not. Additionally, ATS's data on Sinson High School is wildly inaccurate. And thus, I asked the committee committee to expand student omni and work on more communication with all of our schools and to develop a system with accurate data. Thank you, Josh Sean. >> Oh, it's okay. >> Good afternoon, chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Hawkbeck Quinn and I am a student at NYC Lab School for collaborative studies. I am here today with the Highline and strong support of transportation allianc's expand student omni campaign. Transportation is not just about getting to and from school. and directly affects a student's ability to fully participate in life. Omni supports hundreds of thousands of New York City public school students who rely on public transport every single day. Expanding access to unlimited rides would allow students to move freely and safely throughout the city, not just for school, but for jobs, internships tutoring extracurricular activities, and even family responsibilities like picking up younger siblings. Right now, limited rides create unnecessary barriers where students are forced to choose between opportunities simply because they cannot afford the extra fear. That should not be a reality in a city like New York. Transportation should not be a barrier. Last year, my friend's omniard randomly stopped working. We never knew why, and to this day, we still don't know why. He tried to use it and it kept saying card not accepted. We thought it was just a glitch. However, the next day, the same thing happened. His card wasn't working, so he had to jump the turn style where an officer approached him and stopped him and asked him where his omni card was. He tried to explain to the officer that his omni card wasn't working, to which the officer replied that something like that doesn't just happen. My friend ended up showing the officer his school ID, then missed train, causing him to wait another 10 minutes. When a student's when a student's card stops working without warning, it is not just an inconvenience. It can disrupt their entire day, their attendance, and their sense of stability. And this is one of many stories of cards mysteriously stop not working. That is why fair and transparent communication around deactivations is just as important as expanding access. Students deserve to know what is happening and how and how to resolve issues without confusion or delay. Every student in New York City deserves equal access to the opportunities this school has I mean this city has to offer. Expanding student omni is not just a transportation policy. It is an investment in students future. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you so much. You may begin when ready. Make sure your microphone's on. The red light on. Red light means it's on. Good afternoon, committee chair and members of the committee. My name is Nigel Pulley and I'm a sophomore in high school for the environmental studies. I'm here with the Highline as part of the friend of the Highline fellows program. I'm very grateful and appreciative to have this opportunity to share my testimony with all of you. As two of as two of the country's largest systems, the MTA and New York City public schools serve millions of students each year. Without public transportation, the city can't function, which is why I believe Student Omni must expand. There around 600,000 students who use the MTA regularly and are a part of the student OMI card system. In theory, four passes should be more than enough for students. But as a student athlete who's also part of other extracurriculars, four passes just isn't enough. I often find myself calculating how much money I need to spend in order to get through a whole day even with four passes. I play school and club volleyball and that has been a big difficulty for me. I would use one pass to take the train to get to school, one pass to take the train to go to like around the area of my away game, then another pass to take the bus to the school which I was playing at. And then after the game, I would use one pass to go to my club practice and that was four passes. So to get home, I have to pay with my own money. In my case, I had fair money or if I didn't, I would ask my mom. But not every student has that privilege of being able to pay the price every time. In summary, every student deserves to do all their extracurricular activities and out of school responsibilities without having to pay out of pocket. With student expansions, this could be. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Nigel. Good afternoon committee chair and members of the committee. My name is Daniel Ruiz. I am a 10th grade student in quest to learn. I am representing the friends of the Highline. Before I begin with my testimony, I would like to thank the committee for holding this hearing and my manager Jire for allowing me to state my stance on such a subject. The MTA system is one that many New Yorkers rely on and students like my fellow co-workers and I use this system to get to school, go to extracurriculars or college programs or to spend times with friends or family. Four student passes are beneficial, but increasing that number can greatly help students across New York City to get to all their commitments and other responsibilities easily. Therefore, I advocate for unlimited rides surrounding the omniards for students. As stated before, the Omni Cards for students are beneficial in a lot of ways. Off a bullet pointed list. Some things the students use the Omni cards for are getting to and from school using transfer in between, using the MTA system during lunch to get food in a timely manner, getting to part-time jobs, which can also take multiple transfers, exploring places, whether it be finding a new park or finding a new store to spend their time in, or hanging out with friends, which could also be another sub subgroup for exploring places. These benefits, as well as many others, allow students to move freely throughout the city, providing educational and mental health benefits. From my experience, the Omniard ride restrictions are a little detrimental to me. I enjoy hanging out with my friends usually after school, after work or on weekends. And sometimes my friends and I go around Manhattan and sometimes around Queens. And the four rides omni are most of the time not enough for me. I also use my omnis meet with my mother to run errands before my job. And having only four rides makes going from Chelsea to South Jamaica harder. Thus, I asked the committee to help fund unlimited rides, increasing student mobility across the city and overall providing an even more beneficial experience for students. Thank you. >> That was great. Thank you so much, Daniel. My name is Serenity De Isus. I am a n I'm a ninth grader at the community school for social justice. I'm here to exper uh share my experience with new the New York Edge Community Schools and tell you how New York Edge has strengthened our school for the better. New York Edge is not just an afterchool program for our school. They are an engaging and enriching all-day program that gives promising students like me opportunities to improve our overall attendance, behavior, and academics. For example, they launched an exciting attendance init initiative called new year new me that awards students who maintain and m who improve and maintain their attendance with deli voucher with vouchers to our local deli. The PBIS school store and buck system reframes posit positive behavior, good attendance and high grades and in a way also teaches us real world uh real world school skills like personal accountability and financial literacy. New York Edge has brought in an inclusive and interactive way of approaching our history and culture. As an example, our Black History Month event featured a cuisine focus activity where we use our literacy and finance and uh investigation skills to research blackowned restaurants and recipes. New York Edge has this New York the New York Edge staff has a sort of presence that will put a smile on my face even on my worst of days. Every morning when I come into school, I will always be greeted with a good morning and a smile. When I when I went from coming to school once a week to every day, the New York Edge The New York Edge team has motivated me to show up to school more consistently, become more involved in and school activities and embrace positive positivity all the way. Please vote to increase uh funding to New York Edge in the upcoming city budget. Invest. Investing in New York Edge means investing in students like me. Thank you. >> That was great. And I gotta say re real props to like every single students keeping it at like there. I just kudos to to all of there it is. You got 12 seconds to spare. You did fantastic. you've all been doing great. Thank you so and and by the way, I know it takes a lot for students uh just to be in school all day like your school works a lot. Uh and for you to come here and also testify on behalf of your not just yourself but your community is really an incredible thing to see. So, so simply for coming here and doing your schoolwork and taking care of your siblings and all the preparation you did for this uh you're really making uh your New York City your classmates proud. you're really showing what our city really is and it's about all of you. So, so thank you for testifying. Um, next, please. >> Good afternoon. My name is Ashley Fredo. I'm the New York Edge Community School Director at the Community School for Social Justice. I'm here today to ask that you prioritize New York Edge's fiscal year 27 citywide funding requests. New York Edge is the city's oldest and largest provider of afterchool summer programming, serving almost 33,000 students in 134 schools across the city, including four beacon centers and 21 community schools. We run programs in 37 of the 51 council districts. Our mission is to help bridge the opportunity gap among students in underinvested communities. Core components of our programming include STEM education, social emotional learning and leadership, visual and performing arts, sports, health and wellness, academics and college and career readiness and summer programs. We are as identified by Mosaic by ACT the largest afterchool provider in the nation offering social emotional learning supports. This year, we are seeking $ 1.5 million under the council's afterchool enrichment initiative and $250,000 under the council's social and emotional supports for students initiative. For over three decades, the New York City Council has been a vital partner in helping us to fulfill our mission. Council citywide funding has enabled us to enrich and expand our school year and summer programs and has allowed us to develop and implement new unique and engaging programs such as our award-winning student-ledd podcast formative, our book publishing program, our heart for art program, a partnership with the Van Go Museum in Amsterdam, and our ReadAcross New York Edge program. Since 2020, we have tripled in size and have significantly increased the number of students served. Our council citywide funding, however, has remained flat at 1 million. We are extremely grateful for the council's past support. The time has come, however, where increased funding is vitally needed. Council discretionary contracts are not eligible for cost of living allowance increases. This is making it increasingly difficult for us to attract and maintain quality staff and continue to offer the wide array of programs we are known for. Increased funding will enable us to keep providing youth throughout throughout the city with the edge they need to succeed. Your support and advocacy on our behalf are requested. Thank you. >> Very good. Thank you for your test. You just you passed. You all pass. Um, okay. Last on the pedal. >> Good afternoon, council members. Thank you for allowing me to speak with you about the 2027 preliminary education budget. My name is Daniela Rodriguez and I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I am an an autism advoc and disability rights advocate here with the No Turners for Children, Knack Youth Council. I am here to discuss travel training and why the city should invest additional funds to make this service available to more students. Travel training is a beneficial service that is offered by the New York City Department of Education. However, it is not available to every student who needs it. Travel training helps students with disabilities learn to navigate public transportation systems. something that may seem like one skill, but is in fact a constellation of skills, including ones that may be obvious, like such as planning a route and navigating different subway stations. But many of us also have to learn things like knowing when it makes sense to change your plan if a train line is running late or there are multiple trains canled and being comfortable doing so. I am autistic and I also had an IEP while I was in school. While I taught myself how to navigate the subway system, additional support would have helped me with my transition to college as I have to take the subway on a daily basis to go to college on the upper east side in Manhattan. I know that there are many students out there who want to go to college or they want to go to work, but they feel limited in their options because they are unable to use public transportation. Travel training can encourage independence for our students so they can travel using the right skills and thrive in the world. It is vital that the city should invest $2 million to expand travel training services for students with disabilities. When we invest in travel training, we are investing in their future and success. Every student should have the access to accommodations and supports they need to succeed. Thank you. >> Thank you so much for your testimony. Really appreciate and thank you for your book recommendation earlier. If you weren't here, she uh recommended the bell jar. So that's our recommendation for today. I want to thank this panel uh for your testimony today. Um and uh again the time you're taking to advocate uh for someone that's important to you and your friends and your community uh is really important. We deeply value it. Thank you so much. Uh I'm going to call the next panel. Koulsum Tal Abigail Chen, Theodore Tien, and Olivia Lee. I'm going to call on deck, which is going to be the next panel after this one. So just be prepared. Ebony Simpson, Ben Kaufman, Elmer Reyes, Payton Cruz, Anderly Phelis Pñena, Abigail Sigura, Kaid Nardy, who's going to be the next panel after this one. Okay. Uh, and when you're ready, you may begin. Please make sure your microphone's on. You push the button and it'll turn red. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um, good afternoon everyone. First, I want to thank Chair Dinoitz and the rest of the council for allowing this conversation. My name is Olivia Lee and I am a sophomore at Hunter College High School. I'm a youth advocate at the Asian-American Student Advocacy Project, ASAP. ASAP is CACF's citywide youth leadership program. In third grade, my teacher sent home a field trip permission slip for our parents. As soon as I got home, I began translating it into Chinese for my mom. As I read through the sheet, I realized that even I couldn't understand some of the terms. I became frustrated at myself for being unable to communicate something that seemed simple to my mom and at my mom for being unable to understand my education experience. At the time, I was upset. My teacher had described the form for as something for our parents to complete. Yet, I was the one responsible for making sense of it. That makes me wonder now, why do schools rely on students to bridge language gaps for their families? Why can't these schools instead provide proper translations? Having to translate for our parents is sometimes framed as a valuable experience in developing leadership and language skills. But why is it our responsibility to integrate our parents into the school system? My mom's English proficiency and my Chinese ability shouldn't have to play a role in her participation in my academic life. Instead, schools need to take responsibility for being more inclusive of all families by offering better translated material and language support. My experience is not unique and it reflects a larger issue. Many AAPI students today are placed in similar situations with immigrant parents being unable to speak fluent English. These parents often feel both excluded from the school system and ashamed that they cannot support their child more. My dad, for instance, only speaks Chinese and it is nearly impossible for him to be involved in my academic life. Like other immigrant parents, he wants to be involved in his children's school life. But these parents are not given that chance. The children's immigrant parents often feel stressed, guilty, and frustrated. It is unfair and harmful to place those responsibilities on us and lead us to feel isolated or anxious as we navigate through a school system that is not designed to include our parents. >> Please finish your last thought. Thank you. >> Okay. Um we need to baseline $4 million for immigrants family communications and outreach to engage our families in the school system and to make education accessible to them because all families deserve to be part of their child's education journey. >> Thank you. Thank you so much, Olivia. You may begin when ready. >> Hi and good afternoon. I want to thank Chair Denowitz and the rest of the council for allowing this conversation. My name is Abby Chen and I'm a senior at the Clinton School and I'm a youth advocate at the Asian-American Student Advocacy Project ASAP's anti-bullying and harassment campaign. First, I want to acknowledge that while I feel grateful to go to a school that tries to incorporate discussions of issues surrounding bullying, I still see issues surrounding bullying and AP identity, whether people are intentionally trying to make harmful comments or they think that something is just a joke. And for example, in 10th grade, a girl who was also Chinese Korean-American like I was um stopped me in my locker to express how she was upset after someone said she was on the yellow team in PE because she was yellow. And I helped talk to the person who caused the harm. And it wasn't any punishment or harsh consequence, but that small talk helped the other student understand the impact of her comment and why it was problematic and allowed my friend to feel supported and heard. And this experience made it clear to me that there is a need for more to be done so that students understand the true harm and othering these microaggressive comments can have in causing students to feel ashamed about their racial identity or feel like an outsider. And at CSCF and ASAP, we believe that safety isn't policing students or punishing students for wrongdoing, but it means the presence of student wellness. And this is just one example of a comment that I've heard in my school community. And similar comments are hurting other students around the city. And a frequent pattern that we see at ASAP is students who are not reaching out to teachers because they feel like no one would understand. And when we do share, many incidents go unressed. And often while some people may be punished, understanding of the impact of their action often doesn't occur. And the harm caused to the person in the school community is not repaired. And therefore, at CACF, part of our team's mission is to advocate for restorative justice training for teachers and a greater cultural understanding among school staff. However, cultural understanding requires ongoing and sustained conversation, not just a one-time assembly or celebration of AAPI heritage once a year. And for this to be effective in schools, sustained professional development for school staff and restorative justice and continual anti-API bias training for staff is critical. The city must prioritize fostering understanding, empathy, and growth among students. Students like myself deserve and need to be heard, seen, and supported in our public schools. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, Abby. your friend is very lucky to have you as a friend, but I think as you articulated, she shouldn't just have to rely on luck of having a friend like you. I think you're absolutely right. Thank you. You may begin when ready. >> Good afternoon. First, I want to thank Chair Denowitz and the rest of the council for allowing this conversation. My name is Theo Tien and I'm a junior at NESPOSM High School. I'm also a youth advocate at the Asian-American Student Advocacy Project, ASAP's anti-bullying and harassment campaign. Being Asian-American has always been a crucial part of my identity, but it has also come with moments where I felt misunderstood. There's one instance in class where a classmate made a joke about Asian names being too hard to pronounce and my teacher just laughed along. Experiences like that made me feel isolated at school and lacking support. I was also dealing with the pressure to meet expectations tied to the model minority myth. Feeling like I always had to succeed and couldn't share when I was struggling. This made it difficult to take care of my health, especially in a school environment where there aren't enough spaces to openly talk about these challenges. All of these experiences together made school feel overwhelming in ways that aren't always visible to others. Over time, I realized that what I was experiencing reflects what many AAPI students go through. The silence and lack of action in situations show how bullying and harassment towards AAPI students are often ignored. In addition to being a model minority, AAPI students are often seen as perpetual foreigners. In 2024, my team collected stories from API students across 22 New York City high schools on their experiences with bullying in school. API students were asked to move to a different lunch table because of their food, their accents were being made fun of, and they were asked if they were terrorists. When schools don't effectively address these issues and without education that builds empathy, harmful stereotypes perpetuate and students are left to navigate these experiences on their own. School staff should be required to have professional development in restorative justice deescalation trauma-informed practice, and anti-API bias. We need to ensure social workers and educators have access to training on cultural sensitivity religion ability race gender, and sexuality. These solutions are important because they go beyond acknowledging the problem and they aim to create real changes in how schools respond to and prevent bullying. >> Finish your last thought, please. >> We need $6 million to fund restorative justice effort restorative justice efforts which will also improve school climate in a way that will support students wellness and safety. Thank you. >> Thank you. You know what I love about uh what Theo and Olivia did when I said finish last month. They said, "All right, we need $4 million. We need $6 million." Like, yeah. All right. Love it. All right. Next. >> Thank you, chair, for the conversation. My name is Koulsum Topal, lead the education policy work at the Coalition for Asian-American Children and Families. More than 18% of students in New York City identify as AAPI. And CACF advocates for the advocates for the most marginalized AAPI students and all New York students, including English language learners, immigrant and refugee students, low-income students, students with disabilities, students who are facing housing challenges. and we demand a budget that prioritizes the needs for all of them. And so we're uplifting some priorities that are coming out from uh the coalition for equitable ed education funding and ask for the following needs to be ba funded and baselined. Some of which you've already heard from our student leaders. $5 million for mental health continuum. So A&HPI students are severely impacted by mental health challenges. 80% of Asian-American teens have experienced in-person or online bullying. According to CDC data, suicide was the leading cause of death amongst Asian-Americans aged 15 to 24 and the second second leading cause of death amongst Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. Addressing these elements of mental health challenges and bullying requires sustained funding and implementation of restorative justice practices, which is why we're also asking for $6 million for restorative justice to be s uh baselined to improve school climate and address these root causes. $5 million for early childhood outreach and $10 million for infant and toddler child care seats. 17.5% of early childhood students are AAPI and many AAPI families rely on outreach efforts to understand what resources are available to them. Equally important is to ensure that these seats are actually available in densely populated AAPI communities and neighborhoods like Jackson Heights or Sunset Parks. Sunset Park. Lastly, many families in AAPI communities rely on in language and accessible communication, which is why we're uplifting the ask for $4 million for immigrant family communications and outreach. And we urge you and the city council and the mayor to fully fund and baseline these programs. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, Coulson. I want to thank this panel for their testimony today, to Olivia, to Abby, to Theo, and to Coulsome. And I will now call the next panel which is Ebony Simpson, Ben Kaufman, Elmer Reyes, Payton Payton Cruz, Anderly Phelis Pñena, Abigail Sigura, and Katie Nardy. And on deck we have Andrea Alonso Rodriguez, Sebastian Martinez, Guadalupe, uh Tenant Tenantila. Okay. Sometime it's sometimes me, sometimes the handwriting, sometimes it's both. And Gyro Santa Maria. Did I get that one right? Okay. and you may begin when ready. >> Hi, good evening. Um, good evening to Chair Denowitz and honorable members of the Committee on Education. Uh, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of Generation Citizen. I'm Ebony Simpson. I am have the privilege of serving as the uh, executive director for the Mid-Atlantic region for Generation Citizen. We support civic engagement and the power of young people throughout the country by providing them with the tools, knowledge, and skills to advocate for their local communities. We strongly believe in the power of young people to enact real change and to ensure a just and inclusive democracy at large. Through our community-based civics curriculum and policy efforts across the city and state, middle high school students are engaged in an immersive project-based civic education where they take on h a hands-on approach to identifying issues in their schools and their communities. Um they utilize core practices like root cause analysis, landscape analysis, policy resource and stakeholder engagement. And the classroom becomes a macro a microcosm of democracy and action. Um while we provide robust professional development, coaching and interfacing with public officials, um like council member Rita Joseph, council member Gell Brewer who was on the committee and has been working with Frank McCor High School on some really important subway accessibility work, council member uh Harvey Epste who was at our recent civic day in January. So we really just thank you so much for your partnership and champ championship. I'm here for three core reasons. To express deep gratitude for your astonished commitment and investment in civic education in New York City. Um thanks to your investment from the civic uh this uh civic education in New York City schools initiative, Generation Citizens is able to provide our programming at no cost to 5,125 students across 205 DOE schools. So we're really thankful for that. I'm also happen to be a former co-executive director of the Lorie site girls club where I created the new girl city civic engagement initiative and you all have been supporting that since 2018. So thank you for your commitment and I pass it on to one of our amazing educators Ben Kaufman and students uh from Lion Charter School in the Bronx. >> Thank you. >> Thank you Ebony. >> Good afternoon chair. Uh thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Benjamin Kaufman. Uh, like you, I'm an alumnest of Bronx Science, an area you now represent. Um, and I was raised and educated in New York City public schools. Now, I'm a social studies teacher at Lion Charter High School in the Bronx, and I've witnessed how funding decisions directly impact our students ability to learn and thrive. This year, my students participated in community-based civics through generation citizen. The opportunity to explore community issues and understand the political process on a hands-on level was a powerful educational experience. My students projects on topics such as food insecurity and youth empowerment in the face of growing neighborhood gang influence illustrated their ability to leverage political power to address tangible challenges. As a teacher, I bear witness to a myriad of struggles that my students endure. From the mundane chaos of a teenage life dominated by social media to obstacles so fundamental that no child should have to face alone. I've had students experience the upheaval of housing insecurity, grief from loss of parents and loved ones, or trauma from seeing their community members fall victim to drug abuse and gang violence. Our school is in fact luckier than most. We have two full-time guidance counselors dedicated to student mental health as well as student um full-time family coordinators provide holistic student support. I can see the difference when my students feel they have a safe space within the school. The beacon the building becomes a beacon of hope rather than a source of dread where my students know they can be heard and helped. I'm proud of their ability to advocate for their needs and how our staff encourages students to treat their mental health needs seriously. Asking for help and receiving it from a mental health counselor. These are skills that most adults do not have and it's invaluable asset that my students will leave school with beyond graduation. Unfortunately, this does not reflect the reality at the vast majority of our city schools. According to a report from former the office of former comproller Brad Lander, nearly 40% of of city high school students report um depression. 70% of schools fail to meet national staffing standards for social workers and half fall short for guidance counselors. and this gets especially exacerbated for English language learners who are often overlooked when it comes to basic services. The report further describes structural gaps. I asked the council to meet the comprollers's goals for student mental health resource funding. Thank you for considering my testimony and supporting our students. >> Thank you so much. All right, you all ready? All right, go for it. >> Good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to testify at today's hearing. My name is Payton Cruz and I'm in 12th grade at Lion Charter High School. Last semester, my class participated in a community-based civics project through generation citizen. For our project, we discussed issues affecting our school and community and built consensious around one topic to address together. Our class is focusing on youth empowerment and our goal is to reduce the influence of gang violence on children in the community. I'm testifying today because I notice in our community there is a significant bad influence on the youth when it comes to gang violence. A lot of that influence comes from family, friends, or even strangers who see kids that are struggling in life. I chose this topic because it is something that I see every day and it's not something that should be occurring for the youth on a regular basis. Realistically, as students, we encounter gang influence going to school, being in school and in our community of Hunts Point, which is not new to us. I think this is important to us students because there is a lack of resources in our community and in our school. Kids are going through struggles that we can't see, causing them to be suspectable to gang influence. They are vulnerable as people so young they can't express themselves. What I learned about the impact of youth empowerment is that there is a silent majority of students who can't express themselves within their community and honestly don't feel safe or comfortable enough to speak to their parents. This is the sad truth because it leads parents questioning how they are as parents and leading them to not understand what's going on with their children. Children that are under this influence also tends to be lost to themselves, not wanting to trust others, leaving them scared to do normal necessities children would want to do. This issue, in my opinion, involves the city budget because the city can help fund mental health programs to help these vulnerable kids under the influence of gang violence. struggling to express emotions to people. Going into the decisions being made today, we can strengthen funding for programs that can help fund mental health on deeper levels. Since the majority of children struggle with mental health leading to them to be at risk, I think I can list multiple moments or stories from this problem I'm speaking on where I have seen the impact of this issue firsthand. But there are multiple encounters where I can see students in our community hanging outside with wrong people or bringing game related influences into the school, which can cause them to act out upon their behavior. I'm asking the council to make mental health programs a top priority by fully funding them so people can see the significance of this problem and why these types of programs have such an impact on our students. And thank you for considering my testimony and for supporting New York City students. >> Good. Thank you, Payton. Breathe. You did the whole ass thing in one breath. Very impressive. Great. All right. >> Good afternoon. Thank you, Sher Dawitz and the education committee for the opportunity to testify at today's hearing. My name is Elmar Reyes and I am a 12th grade a 12th grader at Lion Charter High School. Last semester my class participated in community based civics project through generation citizen. For our project we discuss issues affecting our school and community and build consensus around one topic to address together. Our class is focusing on food insecurity and our goal is to get funding to build and maintain a food pantry at school for students and their families. I am testifying today because food insecurity shows up in classrooms every day and it affects how students learn, participate, and fill at school. Food insecurity is part of a bigger pattern of inequity. When the city cuts funding to schools and communities like ours, it makes this gaps even wider. We need more investment, not less, to make sure every student has what they need to succeed. My focus issue connects to the budget because students dealing with food insecurity relies on school-based support. I've seen students skip lunch because they want to save food to bring home to their families. That shouldn't be a choice any young person has to make and it affects their energy and focus for the rest of the day. I am asking the council to protect and increase funding for the school-based programs that support students facing food insecurity like mental health service community school support and after school programs. Thank you Sher Noitz and the education committee for considering my testimony and for supporting new New York City students. Emmer, thank you so much for your testimony. I just have to say um uh first of all, everyone testifying should be very proud of themselves, but yours particularly uh spoke to me because it just reminds me of the things that I saw when I was teaching with those kids who would like take home extra sandwiches because that was the food they were going to eat. And it's just so it it's it's very sad, very depressing that those issues still persist when there's so much food out there, particularly uh in Hunts Point where all the so much food in New York City flows through there. So >> yeah, we were proud of their project. It covered how the Hunts Point market isn't serving their own neighborhood. Out of curiosity, where did you teach? >> I taught at the uh for 12 years the Kennedy campus and then the Walton campus. Sure. >> Other side of the Bronx and then a short time at Nest Plus M. >> Yeah. totally other side of the city. >> Totally other side. But issues aren't that different of course that we're all still fighting uh for equity with. Uh next testify, please. >> Good afternoon. My name is Ander Lee Pheliz and I am a 12th grade grader at Lying Charter High School. Thank you for letting me uh be within this testimony. Um last semester my class participated in a community-based civics projects through generation citizen. For our project we discussed issues affecting our school and committee and built cones around one topic to address together. Our class f focused on a reduction of gay influence and our goal is to advocate for programs and opportunities to reduce the influence of gang violence in within the children in the community. I'm testifying today because gang influence affects the safety and future of students within our community. When young people lack support or opportunities, they may turn to gains which can lead to violence and limit success. The issue this issue matters because prevention works better than students be being unable to succeed because of negative influences or being punished for something they cannot control. Providing education, mentorship and positive programs give students better choices and helps create a safer community. Our our class chose these issue this issue because gang influence affects students safety, learning and future. It is important because it creates fear in schools and neighborhoods making it harder for students to feel secure and succeed. We learned that gang activity and pass not just students but also families, the entire school community as well. These issues connect to the city budget because funding decisions affects access to prevention programs, mentorships, and safe spaces where they can talk. The city budget is and can be placed to fund these programs available to the youth for further support for their mental health within their environment in order so we can nurture envisionaries and scholars which can make the future happen. Within my district, I have seen many students feeling pressured or influenced to join groups from pressure or a sense of belonging when there aren't enough positive choices available. We need the support of programs that can develop interest within the youth and guide them towards a better future. It is the school's job to provide the necessary tools for students to succeed and feel safe. Thank you for considering my testimony and for supporting NYC students. It was a pleasure to advocate for my community. >> Thank you. Thank you so much, Anderly. Next. >> Good evening. My name is Kaiden Nordi. I'm a freshman at Lagoria High School. I'm here because the restrictions on eligibility for the student omniard is making it harder for my peers to move around the city and access many opportunities. When I was in middle school, I narrowly qualified for the student metro card, despite not using it to get to and from school, the ability to take transportation for free has really improved my life. I use the Metro card to go to art classes in Manhattan, which has helped me get into my highly competitive fine arts program at LaGuardia, and even the ability to stand in front of you today. My student Omni Card allows me to travel from Brooklyn to events in Queens and meetings in Manhattan without thinking about the cost of transportation. But this privilege is something that a lot of students aren't given simply because they live less than half a mile from their school or take the school bus. These are objectively arbitrary things that shouldn't determine our independence. If I had lived a little closer to my school, suddenly a lot of the things I can do now would not be possible simply because it would cost too much to get there. With the current price of transportation, going to and from an after school activity three times a week would cost about $72 out of pocket. Money that students with Omniards would not have to spend. According to the New York City's school's data, 73.5% of students who attend school are considered economically disadvantaged. An extra 70 plus dollars a month is simply not possible for a lot of families. They shouldn't be expected to pay that much for something so important to our growth and enrichment. A lot of things that colleges and jobs look for are things we do outside of the classroom. This difference gives those who can't afford transit a disadvantage and reinforcing an already existing wealth gap. I implore you to ensure enough funding is allocated to extend the student omni program to include all students in New York City public school system so that we can help students take advantage of all the great opportunities our city provides them with. Thank you. >> Thank you. And can you pronounce Kaidi? Can you say it again? >> Um it's Kaid like >> Kaid Kaid. Thank you. Thank you. Kaidde. >> Thank you chair for the conversation. Hello. My name is Abigail Sagor and I am testifying before you all today in solidarity with my peers at the Yaya Network. The dilemma around school policing versus lack of restorative justice funding is something that I have experienced firsthand throughout my educational journey here in NYC. The conversation takes me back to a time, for instance, during my eighth grade year, pencils were a privilege, but in-house suspensions were ritualistic, where there was one guidance counselor per 300 students. Yet 20 yet 20 officers trailed down halls filled with tw 12 and 13 year olds. In the midst of my ninth grade years, police officers roame the halls and bathrooms, antagonizing students and telling them they deserved prison for not being in class. Substitutes took on the role of teachers and young undeveloped friends replaced mental health counselors. There wasn't enough money. There never was. And yet both schools seemed to meet at one common ground. Restorative justice counselors and mental health counselors were scarce. Yet they always had enough funding for a station worth of police officers. Officers trailing down halls, questioning students in bathrooms or students right outside of class. To many, it might seem that some students are more problematic than others, and the reputation subjects them to overpolicing. But even in that case, is it not ironic that our first resort is to criminalize children of concern rather than give them a support system full of resources? Teens are simply a product of their circumstances. Not just the situation that they have going on at home, but the lack of support that they receive at school. Do we seriously think stu children in already impoverished neighborhoods want to go to their own school and get profiled by the police? One day we normalize treating children in development as we do grown adults behind bars. Because to criminalize children is not to get rid of behavioral issues. It is to allow those issues to marinate under the surface and in time rise up. Council members, in the name of all the children who have been ritually villainized and yet never guided, we ask you to redirect $80 million from filling vacancies among the NYPD school safety agents to providing 500 positive school climate coordinators to lead restorative justice practices in schools. In the youth best interest, put an end to fun to funding systems that push students away and start funding systems that help us grow. Thank you. >> That was perfect timing again. Masterful. I want to thank this panel for their testimony today and look forward uh to future uh conversations. Thank you so much. Um >> okay. Uh the next panel I said was on deck is Andrea Alonso Rodriguez, Sebastian Martinez, Guadalupe Tenantla Tenantitla. That was right. Right. and Haido Santa Maria. And then and then on deck if you'll get ready, Jeremi Lopez, Sophia Vasquez, uh Sherry Wesa Stewart, Katie Caster, Ruth Agira. I kind of want to switch it up. I'll start on my left. You weren't expecting that, were you? Start on my left, your right. You'll be testifying first today. I You're disappointed, but uh got to switch it up sometimes. All right, go for it whenever you're ready. >> Okay. Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Andrea. I have been a restorative justice leader on campus at a community school in Bushwick with Make the Road New York. This is my third year coming here to speak. I'm here because I care about real school safety, not just the appearance of safety. Every young person deserves to feel safe. respect respected and supported in their school. That is not the case in my school I attend. Instead, I've seen students get punished for going through real life struggles that they have no agency in. I've seen people get suspended for situations that could have been handled with conversation, with understanding, and with care. While being an RJ youth leader, I've learned better ways to communicate, how to be accountable for my actions, and how to deescalate conflict within my peers. And yet the city continues to invest in more policing and surveillance instead of support. As students, we feel that every day walking into school, being greeted by security scanners, being checked with the wand, and seeing school safety with weapons on their belt, it doesn't make us feel safe. It makes us feel like we are the enemy or the problem. This is not what safety looks like. Real safety looks like support. Real safety looks like being heard. Real safety looks like restorative justice. So, I'm asking you, stop choosing punishment over support. Fully fund restorative justice in all schools and protect and expand our programs and divest from excessive school policing because schools because students don't need more surveillance. We need support. If you really care about our safety, then start listening to us. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony. >> Uh, good afternoon and thank you for allowing me to testify. Uh my name is Harro Santa Maria. I am 18 years old and I am a senior at the Academy for Excellence and Leadership. I am also a youth leader for Bushwick campus student success center. Um today I am here to talk about how the student success center has changed the direction of my life and allowed me to change the direction of other people's lives. The student success center at Busher campus founded in 2007 through student advocacy fills critical gap in college support for underserved students today. Today students uh the the SS the SSC are serving 34 high schools with over 17,000 students across the city providing critical guidance especially for first generation immigrants low-income and student of colors who have historically lacked adequate support in accessing higher education. This uh academic year I have been a youth leader and this opportunity has had a profound impact on my life. I have grown in confidence, communication and leadership. Helping my fellow students is an honor. I have met new people, learn new things, and learn who I wanted to be when I grow up. I now support and take on real responsibility as a leader. I discovered that I want to give back, support others, and create opportunities for those without guidance. I joined the youth leader program because of my little brother. He is an 11-year-old sixth grader. I joined to him to show him what is possible and to make sure he has better opportunities and support when he reaches high school. At my school, there are only two guidance counselors for more than 250 students, which is a heavy weight to bear. In terms of college counselors, there is only one that remains in the entire campus, and her name is Miss Vosquez. She is at our school only because of the student uh success center. Making a difference for so many students and helping guide their future. My responsibilities at the SSC has allowed me to lend hands to students, whether they're helping them in putting their information for college applications or um financial aid or providing them with genuine assistance. I feel inspired to become a better person because of this opportunity and I have in inspired to do more and offer my hand to others. I feel that I've given my all to all my students and the people that I work with either my counselor or my youth leaders. >> Just want to finish your last sentence, your last idea, please. >> And this is why I sit here today to urge the student council or the city council to continue to uh fund the student success center and make sure that students like me can grow more and become more. Investing in the Student Success Center is investing in students futures, opportunities, and bigger communities like ours. >> Thank you so much. >> Hello, I am Haley Ortiz and I will be speaking on behalf of Guadalupe who wasn't able to make it today. Hello, my name is Gualupe. >> Can you say your name? I'm sorry, can you say your name again? >> Haley Ortiz. >> Haley, thank you. >> Hello, my name is Walupe. I am a high school senior and youth leader. I make the road New York. I came to the United States from Mexico at an early age. After spending most of my childhood there, starting school in New York City was a big adjustment, especially because in Mexico, we didn't have police in schools, only teachers and staff who supported us daily. It was difficult to get used to not seeing my teachers first thing in the morning and instead being yelled at by officers while going through metal detectors. I've seen how fear and uncertainty affect students and families, especially with the ICE raids happening in our communities, which makes schools feel unsafe for many of my peers. I faced many challenges adjusting to my new environment. One of the biggest challenges I faced when I came back to this country was discrimination. Students mocked the way I spoke, mocked the way I spoke because of my different accent. When I tried to make friends, other students ignored me, saying they didn't want to be friends with me because I didn't they didn't understand me. What I didn't expect was facing the same discrimination and racism by adults who were supposed to be there to protect me. When my principal was disciplining me, I tried to advocate for myself by explaining that I was new and didn't realize I was breaking rules. That's when an elementary school officer commented on my background. He said, "It's because you are Mexican. That's why." The passive aggressive tone made me feel humiliated and afraid to keep speaking up. At that moment, I didn't feel protected. I felt interrogated and silenced by authority, a feeling that I still remember now. As a high school student, I've never felt safer than I do now. My school has a strong mental health support. When my father was in and out of the hospital for two years, my counselor supported me every day and even organized a t-shirt fundraiser to help with his medical bills. They prioritize understanding over punishment and it shows. We haven't had any major conflicts in my school because of the strong and supportive community these student centered resources create. These resources are critical now as many students fear family separation and harassment by any type of law enforcement. Without support, fear takes over and learning stops. During the Adam administration, more funding went towards policing in our schools. I have seen firsthand that when schools invest in care and support, students succeed. I urge the city council to re redirect funding from schools, police to programs that actually keep students safe and supported like mental health services, guidance counselors, and restorative justice just justice programs. Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, no matter what what they look like or where they come from. Thank you. >> Thank you, and thank you for testifying on behalf of your friend. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Sebastian and I'm a senior in a community high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn. and uh make a road make the road New York leader. I've had the privilege of working with restorative justice with a restorative justice coordinator at my school for two years now. I've learned how to emotionally regulate and help others do the same. I'm here to talk about restorative justice in schools and the importance of these programs. New York City has an opportunity to create more space for R.J. to happen in schools. Expanding the number of coordinators and providing staff with more deescalation and circle training would help schools feel better equipped to handle student conflicts. With the right support, these situations could become meaningful conversations where students work through their differences together. Instead, students get suspended for issues that could have been otherwise been resolved. I've seen this firsthand in my school where two of my close friends got into a fight and afterward the school sat them down and forced them to resolve it on the spot. On the surface, it looked resolved, but the real problems were never addressed. Both of them still had grudges and animosity toward each other. The root of the conflict was never really talked through and it all happened because there are not enough R.J. practitioners on campus who can guide these conversations in a more thoughtful and lasting way. The city decides where the money goes and what positions are created. And right now, restorative justice is not receiving the investment it urgently needs. Schools required dedicated funding, trained staff, and protected time to implement R.J. effectively. Students in this city deserve schools where conflict is treated as an opportunity for growth, not just punishment. Restorative justice is not just an add-on. It is a proven approach that creates lasting, meaningful change in school communities. By being an RJ youth leader, I have learned that the core foundation of R.J. is building strong, healthy relationships, schools. >> Finish your last thought. >> Um, yeah. R.J. directly addresses these challenges by fostering environments where students feel seen, heard, and respected, and it should be implemented in every school. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. And and thank you all for your testimony uh today. And similar to our previous panel, it's wonderful that you're um your R.J. Ambassadors. Is that your the title? What's the RJ restorative justice leaders? Leaders. It's it's wonderful and but it shouldn't rely on schools being fortunate enough to have students who care like you do and proactively seek it out. It should be um sort of built into all of our schools. I think you're absolutely right. So, thank you for your for all of your testimony today. I'll now call the next panel. Um and Lopez, Sophia Vasquez, Sher West Stewart, Katie Caster, Ruth A I'm not I don't know graduate students. Okay. And on deck we have Diarre Ba, Alina Flores, Briana Lucero, Gray Bruce, and Allison Rallo Castillo. That's on deck. We will start from the left. You're right. You're starting at You got this. All right. >> Good afternoon, Chair Donowitz, committee, and council members. My name is Hermione Lopez, and I'm currently a high school senior attending the Beacon School. For the past two school years, I have been a student researcher with the Latina Curriculum Initiative. As a student researcher, I have worked along TC students, educators, and fellow New York City public school students to develop a culturally responsive curriculum that bridges the gap between students and education. I facilitated online and inerson town halls and served as a panel speaker at the Hispanic Education Summit 2025 and at our Tayis event where our educators and students presented projects curated during their time as Latin researchers and where I was able to work directly with numerous educators who were equally driven to share the Latino culture amongst their students but lack the resources and support to do so. Our work together felt invaluable and makes up the fabric of the lessons in the curriculum today. I have watched intergenerational groups of New Yorkers come together for the Latin curriculum initiative to support the need for a curriculum that acknowledges the culture, history, and art of the 40% of New York City Latino pop public school population and beyond. As a student, I have seen with my own eyes the importance of highlighting one's culture in the education system. Growing up as a Mexican-American student in the South Bronx, I have never once questioned my culture, identity, and place in school until I went to high school. 40 minutes away from my family, friends, and safety net lies a school that I thought was a guarantee to accomplish what my family couldn't. Yet, throughout my four years in high school, I have realized the need for an education that both acknowledges my CHO history while simultaneously upholds a recurous rigorous curriculum. Despite New York City having some of the best public schools, I have not been able to ignore the disparities plaguing our schools, namely prioritizing test scores over student integration and cultural acceptance. In my junior year, I grew tired of the segregation in our school system and decided to join the Latin Dad team after realizing this work was rooted in a shared desire to feel represented in the curriculum and to push for change that the Latina curriculum has helped create. Today, I I sit before you all hoping that you all are just as driven to challenge the disparities within our education system through supporting the funding through supporting and funding the Latinad curriculum initiative. I believe that education isn't only about test scores and data, but rather the social culture reflected in schools. Students care about their education when they believe their education cares about them. That is why LCI is important work to support. Thank you. >> Thank you. Did your speech say standing before you? Okay, >> you've fixed on the fly. That was very, very talented. Very good. All right, you may begin one ready. >> Okay. Thank you so much. Good afternoon, Chair Dina, committee council members. My name is Sophia Vasquez. I am uh currently a doctoral student at teachers college, a former educator of New York City schools and a member of the Latin curriculum initiative team. I'm here to deliver testimony on behalf of Dr. Ezekiel Dixon Roman uh director of the Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Advanced Study and member of the leadership team of the LCI. So here is his testimony. We are grateful for the council's support in our first two years and respectfully make our budget request of $2.35 million on behalf of Teachers College. Founded in 1973, the Gordon Institute is committed to critically examining and reshaping the lives and education of socially precarious and racialized populations. Through the development of a culturally responsive ethnic studies curriculum and the centering of students, teachers, and community interest, the LCI is one of many initiatives that follows the mission and legacy of the Gordon Institute that seeks to enable the success of all New York City public school students. Given that over 85% of educators are using AI in classrooms, we introduced uh a focus on AI in the LCI for 2026. We're developing and conducting a survey on Latina youth understandings, uses, and perspectives on ethics and fairness with AI, as well as how English or Spanish prompting and AI generated output may impact them. This survey data will be used to inform culturally responsive professional learning and curricular content with AI. Full funding of our proposal will allow us to engage youth in workshops with the AI survey data and to develop curricular materials to design and pilot lessons and resources. It will enable us to use this AI survey data and implications in a series of workshops with educators to develop professional learning frameworks and modules. Through the workshop series, we will learn from educators how they are using AI while also developing professional learning and collaboration with them in this rapidly changing technological landscape of education. We thank you for your time. Thank there you go. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. >> Oh, the red light has to be on. >> Yeah. I don't know if you can turn your >> It's on. >> Okay, >> you got it. >> Good evening. My name is Sheri Wisa Stewart and I'm a doctoral student at Teachers College, Columbia University and former high school social studies teacher. I'm speaking on behalf of the team by led Dr. Rahina Cortina that has been working on the Latin curriculum initiative. This initiative is a citywide effort to develop a culturally responsive curriculum and professional learning for New York City public schools reflecting the histories, identities, and contributions of Latino communities. I'm here to testify to what we accomplished in our second year and ask for funding next year to continue this crucial work. Over the past academic year, we have written 20 lessons for grades six through nine structured around our four pedagogical pi pillars, which together foster inclusive interdisciplinary and student centered learning. We have also created a cohort of 20 teachers from multiple districts who've been writing additional lesson plans to support the curriculum. This year we held nine curriculum writing sessions guiding teachers um from planning and standards alignment to assessment and differentiation so they could design lessons that reflect students identities and experiences. To support the professional learning of New York City educators to implement the curriculum, we hosted a series of knowledge building workshops bringing together teachers, scholars, and school leaders to explore how Latin Dad can be taught across disciplines. In October, participants examine Aphroatinidad and intersectional identities. In November, workshops focus on narratives latinidada in New York City, including immigration and activism. In January, educators explore the role of music and arts in deepening students understanding of identity and community. And in March, teachers worked with our team to translate these ideas into classroom ready lessons on activism, history, and community well-being, such as exploring how community gardens serve as spaces of cultural preservation, resilience, and collective care. Teachers responses have been overwhelmingly positive, with many requesting more workshops. One described the session as a rich and powerful workshop with insights I will use to prepare ideas for learning, while another called the work groundbreaking, healing the inner childhood of many Latino people who have not been represented for so long. This work is building a strong foundation, not just new materials, but a growing community of culturally responsive educators. Thank you. >> Okay, your timing is competitive with that of the youth. >> Good job. Next, please. All right. Good afternoon, Chair Denowitz, committee, and council members. My name is Katie Caster, and I'm a for former special education and ELA teacher, and I'm currently a doctoral student at Teachers College and a member of the Latin Curriculum Initiative or LCI. I'm here to deliver testimony on behalf of Dr. Lamez Karobayo, co-director of the LCI. This is her testimony. We are grateful for the council's support in our first two years and respectfully make our budget request of $2.335 million on behalf of teachers college. Our team is uniquely positioned as academic leaders in this partnership to develop and implement a culturally responsive inclusive and accessible Latinad curriculum. The LCI center student, teacher and community perspectives as it's invested in the learning, achievement and post-secondary success of all students in New York City public schools. In 2025, we led with our expertise and worked directly with students and teachers to include multiple voices developing our conceptual framework and blueprint, which is the outline vision of our initiative. This blueprint in our report are publicly available on our website. In 2026, we had an overwhelming response to an open call for student and teacher inquiry groups with over 300 students and teachers applying to participate. We formed a cohort of 60 students and teachers due to the available funding. And this intergenerational cohort supported the team in developing an elective course on Latinad modules and lessons for all high school students. We have a teacher and a student cohort member here with us today who will share or have shared their experiences. Full funding of our proposal will allow us to build upon all of these innovations to make resources available to all teachers, develop elementary curriculum, implement scalable professional learning, and support n citywide implementation of this curriculum and create an online platforms for teachers and students across all five bureaus. We look forward to contributing to the important goals of this committee of making access, equity, access, and critical hope a reality for all of our students, but especially for those who are most underrepresented. Thank you for your time. Thank you so much. You may begin when you're ready. >> Good afternoon, Buena Sardes, chair Genowitz, committee members, and members of the council. My name is Ruth Aguire. I'm a music teacher at PS189 in the heart of Washington Heights, a doctoral candidate at Teachers College and a curriculum contributor to the Latinad Curriculum Initiative, LCI. I testify today on the transformative power of the Latinad Curriculum for NYC students and families. New York City's history thrives on the contributions of diverse people. When students see their community's achievements reflected in lessons, it affirms their identity and builds self-efficacy. At LCI's Thetidad workshops, high school students gained new knowledge of Latino culture, sparking gratitude for seeing people from their communities represented. The students also sought advice on their educational and career aspirations as most of the presenters were graduate students and leaders in professional fields also of Latino heritage who could relate to their experiences. These connections during students formative years provide a foundation for self-efficacy and plans for a successful future in New York City and beyond. Latin topics also boost engagement and critical thinking. At my school, where 93% of students are Hispanic, many of them of Dominican heritage, music lessons from Latin America ignites excitement. Students compare and contrast rhythms, share family stories, and create new lyrics. These innovative students are in the process of becoming the next wave of New York City cultural and thought leaders. In closing, the Latina curriculum serves as a mirror for students who see themselves represented in it and a window for others seeking to learn more about the people in their world. It celebrates Latino art, music, stories, and resilience, enriching all New Yorkers. When New York City shows support for this in our schools, the message is clear. Our students cultures are important, celebrated, and essential to our city's future. Let us all commit to supporting the Latinad curriculum. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Thank you to this panel for your testimony. Um we have a a slight change in the order. I know I said uh a certain panel was on deck. Going to wait one more round. Apologies for the confusion. Um the next panel is Madison Mounty, Sophie uh Stelbomb, Matt Choco, oh Janice Wyman Shornstein, Gilberto Alvarado We'll start with Madison. You may begin when ready. >> All right. Good evening, education chair Denowitz and members of the education committee. My name is Madison Mounty and I serve as the director of government relations and advocacy at the Simon Weisenthal Center. New York City stands at a pivotal educational moment. Rising hate incidents, the fading presence of survivor testimony, and increasing historical misinformation, converge to create an urgent need for media literacy. That's where our programs come in. Our current city council supported workshop, combating hate in digital spaces, is a learning experience designed for middle and high school students. Learners explore the formation of online identities and examine how digital systems such as AI and the algorithm influence and manipulate individual actions in digital spaces. This workshop supports student reflection on how their digital selves are shaped and equip students with holistic strategies for ethical online engagement that situates them as contributors to the reduction of digital harm, online hate speech, bias, bigotry, and bullying. Funding for FY25 was used to deliver a total of 463 workshops and assemblies to over 11,000 public and high school students in 47 schools across the five burrows. This year, we are continuing to work in partnership with schools in 12 council districts to schedule these workshops and assemblies. Our new initiative request, Witness to History, is a workshop for students in grades 9 through 12 that uses survivor testimony from the Holocaust and the Rwanda genocide to teach how history is created, remembered, and communicated. Research in genocide and human rights education shows that testimony based learning is among the most effective ways to reduce to humanization and build lasting ethical awareness. Enhanced Restoration of funding through the speaker's initiative, citywide initiatives, as well as youth and local discretionary funding at the levels requested will allow us to provide workshop sessions for as many as 14,000 students and expand to schools and communities beyond our current reach. We look forward to our continued partnership with the city council. Thank you for your consideration and we hope to have your support. >> Thank you. The timing is beautiful this evening. I love it. Good afternoon, Chair Denowitz and other members of the education committee. My name is Sophie Stelbam and I'm a program and operations coordinator at the Trust for Public Land in New York City. Since 1996, Trust for Public Land has partnered with city agencies and many city council members to convert over 230 asphalt lots into vibrant school community playgrounds featuring shade trees, gardens, athletic courts, running tracks, and outdoor classrooms. These sites provide close to home places to gather, exercise, and play for students and neighbors alike. Numerous studies show that access to outdoor play and nature relieves stress, increases increases physical activity, improves mental health, and decreases social isolation for both adults and youth. These playgrounds depend on annual custodial funding to ensure they remain safe, clean, and accessible to the community outside of school hours. While roughly 270 sites receive this essential funding for maintenance through plan YC and the parks department, it is possible to open more than 300 additional sites to the public through baseline funding for custodial support. The division of school facilities estimates that it costs $72,000 per year to open a schoolyard to the public. Adding 15 schoolyards per year moving forward, as stated in council member Brewer's bill 0566, would cost the city a little over $1 million per year. an easy, cost-effective way to increase play space within a walkable distance from home while prioritizing those in environmental justice areas. Parks and playgrounds are more crucial than ever, affording economic and researchbased solutions to public health and loneliness in every neighborhood. Thank you for the opportunity to address this committee this afternoon. We greatly appreciate your attention to these important issues. >> Thank you so much. One quick question for um for Madison. Sorry, for Madison. Um, similar to the questions I had for the DOE about restorative justice, um, the work that you guys do is, I think, inherently good, but do you do you have any sort of metric evaluative tool you use to demonstrate that these programs are positively impacting our students? >> Yeah, I can certainly go back to the education team that collects a holistic view of data based on return visits from schools, our incident response when things occur at specific schools, and how teachers and students respond. Um so I can I can reach out to you separately on that. >> Thank you so much and thank you to this panel for your testimony today. Okay. Now after that brief brief interlude, Dior Ba Alina Flores, Briana Lucero, Allison Rallo Castillo, and Gray Bruce. Okay, we'll start from my right, your left. We'll start with you and you'll begin whenever you're ready. Good afternoon. My name is Alina Flores. I'm a student at the Young Women's Leadership School of the Bronx and I'm a youth activist with the Yaya Network. I'm here to talk about the importance of funding mental health resources in schools and share a bit of my experience regarding that. Within my school, my time to talk to our counselor felt limited, considering it's one staff that accounts for 300 plus high school students. That being said, I never felt like my time to talk about my personal issues impacting myself and well-being was valued or important enough since it was so hard to get time with my counselor. Students come to school to not only learn but also feel safe. We should feel that our stories are valid and heard. Therefore, our funding for counselors in school should be an necess necessity that we shouldn't have to fight for. So, I am here asking you to freeze the hiring of new school cops and reinvest those funds into real support through more counselors, social workers, and restorative justice programs by shifting at least $75 million um directly into schools to hire community-based staff who actually keep students safe. This would allow our students the support they need in the journeys they face. Thank you for listening. Thank you so much. >> My name is Alison Rella Castillo. I'm a to I'm a to student um representing YA network. Today I'm here to speak about the importance of supporting immigrant students in our city schools. Many immigrant students like myself come to school not only to learn but also find safety, stability, and opportunity. I still remember how my my elementary school resources for bilingual kids were very scarce. Children who had immigrated and didn't speak English were all taught by a by a single guidance counselor. She was not even a teacher and didn't know all of her different languages. Communicating was very hard. Now it's even harder for immigrant children as they always have to be on the lookout for ICE. Therefore, increased funding for bilingual education programs, school counselors, and staff who understand the needs of immigrant communities is essential to creating welcoming environments. This funding must include the renewal of 4 million um dollar budget for immigrant family communities and outreach to ensure families stay informed and connected to schools. Additionally, policies like intro 460 which include uh eliminating the GAN database are critical to protecting immigrant students. Such measures help ensure that minor incidents do not have lasting consequences on students immigration cases, allowing young people to learn, grow, and contribute positively to their communities without fear. Thank you for listening. >> Thank you so much for your testimony. Whenever you're ready, you may begin your testimony. If you see the red light on, that means the microphone's on. No, it's Hi, my name is Briana and I'm from BHS and a youth leader in circle keepers. I come before you all since the budget cuts threatens the immigrant family communications and outreach initiatives and this unfortunately impacts immigration comm immigr oh my gosh um um communic community communities that are built on immigrants uh children and parents are always in fear about like if they're going to lose somebody if something's going to happen while they're not close to each other. And I think that that's not a way any child or person or adult has to live. And I hope that um that oh no um that this can like um that this can just like show you that people are um scared and that we are all students and that we just want you to reconsider where your where where the dollar where the money goes because we want to we want to be able to help our community and not be able to just live in fear because there are people that are really smart and willing to go to school but are held back by that because of surveillance and wrongful accusations that they don't deserve to live in fear or constant stress and I hope that this can change your mind and thank you for and thank you for considering my testimony and I thank you for your time. Thank you so much for your testimony and and all the people who you're advocating for, the people living, as you say, in fear and in stress, are also deeply grateful for your advocacy today. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, chairman and members of the committee. My name is Dere. I am a high school junior and I am a leader at Make the Road New York. Council member Williams represents where I live in Jamaica and Speaker Manon represents the area where I go to school. I am here today because I want New York City to invest more resources for mental health support, restorative justice, and student success centers in my school. We do not need more school cops. There are six schools in my building. The majority of students walk through a main entrance where the first people they see every morning are school cops. It feels like I'm walking into jail. Their presence makes me feel like I've done something wrong or that I am in trouble. I should not have to feel this way. I come to school to learn. I want to feel like I belong there. But the con the constant presence of school cops makes me feel like people were people from my background are dangerous and need more surveillance. That's racist. Black immigrant students like me are capable of achieving amazing things. We just need genuine support and resources to grow. Instead of wasting money on school cops, we need to invest in real school safety like restorative justice and mental health support. School police cause direct harm to young people. They escalate conflicts in schools and disproportionately punish black and Latin ex students. There is no proof that school police prevent conflict in our schools. But yet, the New York City budget currently prioritizes funding school police instead of fully funding my education. New York City has the largest school police force in the country. As Mayor Adam, sorry, as Mayor Mumdani and this city council begin making positive changes, we are calling on you to stop recruiting, hiring, and training school police. If we stop hiring new school cops and cut the vacant school cop positions, we could immediately have millions of dollars to invest in real school safety. Under the new administration, young people and schools are under attack. These threats are really scary. All young people deserve to feel safe and respected in schools regardless of immigration status. We need this New York City council to pass a budget that protects young people and invest in real school safety by expanding funding for restorative justice, mental health, and student success centers. >> Thank if you can finish up your last thought, please. I'd appreciate it. >> Yeah, no problem. In the near future, I see myself going to college, going to law school, and becoming an immigration attorney. Invest in me. Invest in the young people. We need police free schools now. Thank you. Thank you so much. Our last panelist. >> Um, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today about the proposed budget. My name is Greg Bur and I am a senior at School of Future High School. Today I'm testifying on behalf of the Coalition for Equitable Education funding, a group of more than 120 organizations advocating for the resources needed to ensure every student receives a highquality education with a focus on those who have the greatest needs. We are pleased that Mayor Ramdan's fiscical year 2027 preliminary budget extends and baselines funding for two essential initiatives, preschool special education services and summer programming. However, the preliminary budget re leaves out funding for other critical education programs that are currently benefiting thousands of New York City students and their families. The following programs are funded for this year only and are therefore at risk of being rolled back or eliminated as soon as this July. Restorative Justice, which helps students stay in schools, repair relationships, and resolve conflicts instead of being suspended. The mental health continuum, which provides expedited mental health care to students at 50 highnee schools. The learning to work program, which provides support to overage underredited students to help them earn a high school diploma and develop a post-secary plan. Uh, sensory exploration, education, and discovery, otherwise known as SED, uh, which supports students with intensive sensory needs. Infant toddler child care seats in high needs communities which are programs that just got up and running this January and represent the first city funded non-meansested child care for infant and toddlers. Early childhood education outreach which helps families learn about uh early child care programs. Immigrant family communications and outreach which helps families receive information about their child's school in the language and mode they can access. Um and student success centers which allow trained youth leaders to build a culture of collegegoing and help their peers with college the college admissions process. Um, we call on the city to baseline funding for these programs in the fiscal year 2027 budget, uh, so that students and families will know that they can continue relying on these programs in future years and to make additional investments that are needed to support students, especially those who have the greatest needs. Uh, thank you for the opportunity to testify. I would happy to answer any of the questions you have. >> Thank you. Thank you, Gray. Um just a moment of uh personal privilege just for Alina and Allison and all the other uh young ladies uh women from Young Women Leadership Academy. You have a dynamite teacher in Miss Ritz uh who is so incredibly proud of you and I can tell you from my personal experience. She was my co-teer my very first year when I was a teacher and I know that I learned so much about our our our teen our teenagers about being a teacher from her and she is doing incredible things uh in the classroom and you are so very lucky to have her as as your teacher. Um, I want to thank this panel uh for their testimony today and call the next panel uh Reinali Bran, Marama uh Jalo, Sadaya Raman, and Miley Gomez. Okay. And on deck we have Espironza Vasquez, uh Hermione Alia Raymond, Aia Ali, Cassidy, it's hard to read that. Cassidy with the K and Ureetsi Vidal's Hernandez. Um, and for the translation, um, who we're looking for, who's doing the translation? Okay, we have a translator in the back. I'm sorry. We'll start from my right, your left. You may begin whenever you're ready. >> Whenever you're ready, you may begin. >> Hi, my name is Mariana Malo. I'm also a senior at the Young Women's Leadership School of the Bronx and I am a youth activist at the Yaya Network. I'm here today to talk to you about mental health resources in schools and specifically I want to express the lack of help I have received from my school that dates back to when I was a middle schooler. I've always had a problem with stress whether that was my future, my homework, or my home life. It always felt so overwhelming to deal with. So much so that it overflowed my mind with so much anxiety. Since I was since I was and still am very hyper aware of myself, I knew that the help I needed was going to be from my school counselor. Everything was going great. I was given sessions and I saw my mental state improving the more sessions I had access to. But my sessions had to end because my counselor had too much on her plate being one of two counselors throughout the whole school building. I'm not alone. I know that you know that there are many students that yearn for the same mental health access as me. I also know that you know that one or two counselors of a to a school of 800 kids or any amount of kids is not enough. The confidence from a child and teen knowing that they have many support systems that they can go to school should not be normalized. That is why I am asking you to provide more funding for the programs in the mental health continuum and direct $80 million to hire 500 positive school climate coordinators that would provide more mental health capacity in schools. Thank you. >> Thank you, Marama. >> Yeah. >> Sorry. Thank you so much. Next. >> Hello, education committee. My name is Reena Libran. I am a student at at the Young Women's Leadership of the Bronx and an activist at the Yaya Network Action Committee. I'm here today because I want to talk about the fact that more counselors are needed in schools instead of cops. Not only are cops intimidating, but they are also not a very good solution to keeping a school safe as it can negatively impact a student's mental health more a student's mental health and more. I still remember my times of going through a metal detector in my school, a place where I'm supposed to feel safe and protected. It honestly settles me every time they do one of these surprise checkups. I can't even imagine who how kids who have them every day in their schools feel. I can still recall a time where my school had an event along with another school, a game night. As soon as I got there, I was greeted by a metal dete I was greeted by metal detectors and soon after a wand held metal detector. It felt like an invasion of my of my personal space and I had to grab onto a table and put a leg behind me as well as other es for them to check me all because I had a quarter in my coat pocket that I wasn't aware of. This is why we want no funding for new or existing student surveillance and scanning equipment. We are calling on the New York City Council to freeze hiring of school cops and forbid the city from filling empty positions and instead to provide an $80 million funding to hire 500 school-based roles responsible for training staff and implementing restorative justice and healing centered programming. In addition to this, we demand that the baseline funding for restorative justice increases from 17.6 million to 22.6 million. Thank you for listening. >> Thank you so much for your testimony. >> Good evening. My name is Miley Gomes. I'm a youth activist with the Yaya Network and a ninth grader at the Beacon School. I'm here today because every student deserves access to real mental health support and school environments rooted in care, dignity, and safety. Currently, that is not the reality for many of us. I remember a day when a student in my school school was having a panic attack and during class, they were visibly overwhelmed, shaking, and didn't know where to go. When they tried to get help, the nurse's office was already full and there wasn't a counselor available. They didn't know where to go. Eventually, they were sent back to class without getting the support they needed. Moments like that stay with you because in that moment, it sends a message that our mental health isn't a priority. And when students don't get help, it affects everything. Our focus, our attendance, and our ability to succeed. The solutions are clear and they already exist. Schools need restorative justice practices and consistent accessible mental health support, trained staff, deescalation spaces, and services students can actually access when they need them. That is why we are calling on the city council to invest $80 million to hire 500 school climate coordinators, increase restorative justice funding from 17.6 million to 22.6 6 million and sustain programs like the $5 million mental health continuum. If we want safer schools, we need to invest in care, not punishment. Students shouldn't have to go through struggles and worries just to get through the school day. Thank you for your time. >> Miley, thank you for your testimony. Hello, my name is Cyia and I'm a high school senior at school the future high school and I'm a proud firstgen immigrant and I'm here to ask the city to baseline the 4 million for immigrant family outreach and communications around co the city was able to secure 4 million for immigrant family outreach because it was recognized that immigrant parents were being were not getting communication from schools and were being left out from receiving services that are incredibly important. The program helps ensure that immigrant families have access to the information that they need about their children's education to access services and resources. It is critical for this initiative to continue given the increasing numbers of newcome immigrant families in uni in New York City as well as the toxicity of the federal policies. I'm glad to learn that over co the school system added money to make immigrant uh communications and engagement better. And while it's still not perfect, we can't go back. In fact, we need to do more to support and protect immigrants. One of my friends, who parents speak a less common Russian dialect, which is much less common than Bengali, the language I speak, um she has an offer for an after school STEM curricular, which requires her to leave school premises. This extracurricular is something that she deeply enjoys and is a way for her to get further experience in STEM that is beyond what her school had available for her. The school however did not have a translator or translated permission slip for her parents. The school did not call with the translator and since the family spoke very little English and she was not fluent, the information that they were able to infer from the call were missing the crucial fact that she would be leaving school premises and how to get in contact with her. This is a safety risk for her and her family. Without the translation, it leaves her to out of contact with her parents when she's outside of school, and it should not be a burden on her for her to translate. So, I want to say that I'm happy we have this money now, but I'm scared that the city would lose it because we need to do even more to improve how we communicate with immigrants. This is why we are asking to baseline 4 million for immigrant family outreach. >> Don't know about it. Thank you. Um, I'm sure your teachers, your family are so proud of you. And again, Miss Ritz text me saying she's felling. That's like really proud. All right. So, I hope you're all very proud of yourselves, and I know your teachers and your families all are. Um, I'd like to call the next panel. Um, Espironza Vasquez, uh Hermione Aliyah Raymond, Adia Ali, Cassidy, Um I I can't read the handwriting. I I apologize. Uh coup uh eti vidal Hernandez comments are you can see. Good. Good afternoon, city council. >> I'm sorry. Can you can you please uh speak into the microphone? >> Yes. >> Good afternoon. My name is is Vasquez and I am the mother of two children. >> I was born in Mexico. I was born in Mexico. My two children were born in the Bronx on in district 9. >> The oldest one is in university. >> The second one came out of the council of new settlement. I am a leader of the parents committee in the Bronx >> since 2001. For me, it's a great for me. It's a great It's a great opportunity for me to be here in front of this panel and to maybe hear name of the all the other parents to be able to give a better education to our children. to be able to give a positive education and to work with you all in regards to the budget. This organization called Bronx was founded in 1996. I joined in 2001. and we've been working together. It's led by parents from the community. We're part of we're also part of many coalitions in the city of New York to work together. And the purpose is for us to be able to give the education to our children and for them to integrate to the US society. And and so we work together with Yaya's parents who exposed today or who talk today because our so our organization is also part of coalition dignity of schools and we work towards And we also need you to please support the the counselors, the work social workers. And to invest more more in education, not in suspensions, but in in positive programs. Because all these positive programs allow our children to go to university rather and not to jail >> because Afroamericans and Latinos, we have more challenges when our children want to go to university than other people. This is the reason why I'm here today as mother. That's why I'm here as a Latino mother who doesn't speak English as a support to other parents who so the our children can go to university and part of this society because they were born here. I get very excited when I talk about this because it is my passion and to work towards education and that's why we work together with many coalitions and that's why I'm a leader in the parents committee. We have to work as a team together. Okay. forward. We have to work together with the department of education al together. >> So we need them we need you to put off financing for our public schools programs. >> This is my testimony today for our communities, our students and New Yorker children. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, Chair Denawitz and members of the committee. My name is Javia Ali and I'm a senior in Midwood High School and a youth organizer with the Yaya Network in DSC. I would like to share with the committee something I witnessed last week after a school festival. When students were leaving, a play fight broke out and got out of hand. Within seconds, two NYPD officers rushed in, but in trying to break it up, they pushed my friend up against the wall and began cuffing him even though he was defending himself. He was left standing outside with no jacket in the cold in handcuffs as and as they walked into the car, more police arrived. And soon over 15 officers formed a barricade around students. When we expressed our concern for our friend, asking whether he was being arrested and where he was being taken, not only were we not reassured, but we were blatantly ignored and dismissed. Instead of deescalating the situation, their response escalated it into something it did not need to be. And the fact that there was such a large police presence in the neighborhood immediately after a school event that was almost entirely black students is not coincidental. And it's not one incident and reflects the broader culture in and around black and brown communities and schools where we're constantly fed the myth that more policing means more safety when in reality it leads to the further criminalization of young people. With proposals like the buffer zone bill 175A, that kind of policing would only increase in our own communities. And we know that that kind of presence has never been kind to our young people and only criminalizes them. This is why we are calling on the city to freeze the hiring of new school cops and reinvest those funds into real support through more counselors, more social workers, and restorative justice programs by shifting at least $75 million directly into schools to hire community-based staff who actually keep students safe. As a senior, I've spent the past four years watching my school respond to conflict, peaceful demonstrations, and everyday issues with punitive policies and hostile measures. I've seen friends transfer out, be suspended, and others lose trace trust and faith in our school's ability to protect their well-being and their futures. However, because of the work of members of this coalition, I have faith that we can move towards education policies that can actually respond to the needs of student, but only if we choose to fund the support systems that truly help us. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Hadia. >> Good afternoon, chair Dinoitz and members of the education committee. My name is Uretti Bid Dollnes and I'm currently a Kuni student from district 40. I'm currently a youth organizer at the Yaya Network and with the dignity in schools coalition, both organizations that advocate for for the elimin elimination of policing in schools, increase of restorative justice resources, and for further protections for immigrant students. I stand here before the committee to talk about the protections that are needed to protect not just immigrant students but immigrant families in general. As a daughter of two immigrant parents, my first language was Spanish, not English. I grew up receiving English as a second language services to improve my English comprehension and to be prepared to succeed throughout my academic career. My elementary school was well funded and had the resources necessary to communicate with immigrant parents and was a privilege that I continued to receive throughout the rest of my school years. However, I'm aware that not all schools in the city have the funds to offer the same resources to immigrant parents and cannot provide comprehensive training for school staff. Therefore, I'm asking the education committee to invest in providing a baseline funding of $4 million to fund a communication and outreach between the DOE and immigrant families. By overcoming language barriers, families will be able to engage with their school community and become aware of the ch of their child's progress in school. It would also alleviate the pressure off of our students to be both an excellent student and being the translator for their family, which is something that I've personally experienced and I know so many students have as well, especially first generation students. I'm also asking for the committee to ensure that all students, all schools have a comprehensive school response plan to ICE that includes the training of school staff in order to protect their immigrant students. We need to protect our students and strengthen immigration guidance across all schools. Without this, the city will be failing our students. Thank you for listening and I hope that the committee can take this demand into consideration and create careful and concise action. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for your words. Say uh gracias testimonial. Um I I'm going to call again three names that um uh were called earlier. They didn't come down. If they're here, then please come down. And if you are a student and you haven't testified but would like to, please fill out a slip in the back so we can get you on a panel. Paulina Malooa, Ammy Eedia, Amita, Amina Jallo. Okay, we'll begin with you on my left, your right. You may begin when ready and state your name for the record. >> Hello, my name is Amy Heredia. I'm a student. I'm a high school student, senior at community school in Brooklyn. and I am also a youth leader at Mero New York and Youth Urban Collaborative with the current with the current federal administration. New York must continue to protect immigrant students by moving away from all forms of school policing and punitive practices. It is time to redirect funding from system from systems that fuel the school to prison and deportation pipelines and invest in systems that truly support and protect students like me. After a long day at school, I am here because I care about real safety, not because I want more police in school. I want more counselor mental health resource just justice and college access. Schools should be a place where students feel safe to learn and grow. There's no evidence that police in schools prevent conflict. If anything, they make it they often make it worse. In my experience, having school in my school is destructive. Every morning, school arrived on time for school, but were forced to stand in long lines waiting to go through scanning and metal detector, which makes us late to class. On top of that, the school police often speak to us respectfully and pull students aside for extra searches. It feels like there's no way to win despite my best efforts to be on time and do well. I I do not feel welcome. Instead, I feel targeted. I have seen my friends im humiliated and embarrassed for unnecessary searches that turns out to be nothing. During scan, they suspected my friends of hiding something in her shirt. So they they have taken her to the inside the bathroom and lifted up her shirt for a full search. Nothing was found. She came out angry and that moment stayed with her for the rest of the day and honestly affected all of us who witnessed it. We all still remember that moment vividly. Experiences like this make schools feel less like a place of learning and more like a place where we are treated with suspicion instead of care. At the same time, I have two amazing teachers, my ELA teacher and my modern United Nations teacher who make me feel truly safe in school who they've supported me through tough times and also help me grow as a student. Just seeing them smile when I walk in reminds me that I am in a place where I am valued. Now imagine every student had supported staff like them. The impact would be powerful. Instead of being greeted by police yelling at us in the hallway in the hallways, we would have we will be met with care and respect and the support we need to succeed. >> Thank you. >> Make sure your microphone's on and then state your name for the record. Is the red light on? >> Just push that white. There you got it. Yeah. Good afternoon, Chair Denowit and to the members of the education committee. My name is Paul Nomi and I, like many of you, used to attend a New York public a New York City public high school, which is Brooklyn Nutton. As a sophomore, I'm also a youth leader with the circlekeepers and a proud member of the dignity in schools campaign New York. In middle school, I had two counselors for over eight four for over 450 eighth graders. With proportions like these, students only got attention after they had engaged in some form of bad behavior. This because our overworked staff could only attend to the problem after the fact. Our schools need the time and resources to address a student's feelings before they act on them. This is why we are here to increase mental health and restorative This is why we are here to increase mental health and restorative justice funding and redirect money away from policing. Students don't misbehave for no reason. High school can be hard and judgment and police interventions don't make it any easier. Statistics of student misconducts are not something to say kids these days to. But they are a plea for help. Kids these days are being treated like criminals by school police. Kids these days are taught to think of themselves as criminals and kids these days are conditioned to be criminals. And the people who condition them act shocked when they carry that mindset into adulthood. Help abolish the schoolto prison pipeline. Help us bring respect back to hallways. And help us do that by raising restorative justice funding from 17.6 to 22.6 million. Give our schools funding that will support more mental health professionals in learning spaces and give youth afterchool programs to practice restorative justice. Do this and build a safer future for the younger generations. Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony today. Our last student panel uh will be August Hoy, Juniper Wang, and Charles H. >> Sorry, that's something. >> All right, let's switch up. We'll start. We Well, yeah, we'll start on the left and go your right, my left, and we'll go across. >> Yeah. >> Hello and good afternoon to the city council's education committee. I'm August Huait, a sophomore at Bard High School Manhattan, and a member of the Transportation Alternatives Youth Activist Committee, or TAK for short. Uh, Tyak is a group of teens who advocate for better transportation options for New York City students. Oh, I see. Um and uh we are doing that through our expand student omni campaign. Uh you've already heard from one of our other committee members a little earlier uh but I'm here today to uh express the concerns of both myself and many of my fellow peers surrounding the deactivations of student omniards. It is not an uncommon occurrence for student omniards to suddenly not work, leaving students without a means of paying for the subway or bus uh and either resulting in fair evasion or students being forced to pay out of pocket. I've personally had my student omni card permanently deactivated over a half dozen times since they were first distributed over a year and a half ago, as have many of