NYC Class Size Reduction Plan Excoriated by Left Wing Think Tank

By: Hal C Clarke

A recent report from the Urban Institute, a poverty-fighting group, suggests that New York City’s controversial state law mandating reductions in class sizes across public schools may exacerbate funding disparities, particularly affecting disadvantaged students, amidst proposed budget cuts by Mayor Eric Adams, NY Post reports.

The report raises concerns about the lack of funding from the state legislature to implement the mandated reductions, potentially redirecting funds away from needy schools and towards more affluent ones.

According to the analysis, the absence of dedicated funding for the mandate may compromise “funding equity,” diverting resources from schools attended by low-income students to those in wealthier white and Asian neighborhoods. The report emphasizes that additional costs associated with reducing class sizes could negatively impact funding equity, with the average per-pupil funding for low-income students currently 7 percent higher than that for higher-income students. This disparity would decrease to 5 percent when factoring in the estimated cost of class size reductions.

The report also notes potential repercussions on funding equity concerning race and ethnicity, with the average per-pupil funding for Black students currently 13 percent higher than that for white students, dropping to 10 percent. Similarly, for Hispanic students, the funding difference would decrease from 7 percent to 5 percent.

The chief researcher of the analysis, Matthew Chingos, questions the wisdom of implementing across-the-board class size reductions, arguing that local schools should have the autonomy to allocate resources based on their unique needs, including class size, teacher salaries, and non-teaching staff.

The law, approved in 2022 under Governor Kathy Hochul and the legislature, requires New York City schools to reduce class sizes to a maximum of 20 students in grades K–3, 23 students in grades 4–8, and 25 students in grades 9–12 by the 2027–28 school year. The law, influenced by the United Federation of Teachers, could cost up to $1.9 billion per year to hire additional teachers.

The report suggests alternative approaches, such as implementing class size reductions through a fair funding student formula that considers factors like poverty and the percentage of special education students. This method could potentially direct more funds to schools with a greater need to reduce class sizes, ensuring a more equitable distribution.

Chingos proposes other cost-cutting measures, including using a class size average instead of mandating every classroom to meet specific benchmarks. Additionally, he suggests amending the law to raise caps in classes with two teachers, potentially reducing per-student costs of implementation.

The United Federation of Teachers defended the law, emphasizing that every student in New York City deserves smaller classes. They argue that the city has a responsibility to utilize the state-provided funds to implement the law and fairly fund its public schools.

In response, the Department of Education and City Hall acknowledged compliance with the law’s first phase but welcomed the Urban Institute’s report for highlighting the funding challenges. They stressed the need for additional funding to fully implement the law, citing concerns about the large costs, potential inequitable funding, and the current lack of resources to meet the requirements.