Committee on Education meeting
March 23, 2026, 9:30 AM
The Committee on Education held its FY2027 preliminary budget hearing on the Department of Education and the School Construction Authority. The committee took testimony and recorded no votes.
What was discussed
- Chair Dinowitz opens the Education preliminary budget hearing Chair Eric Dinowitz gaveled in the Committee on Education hearing on the FY2027 preliminary budget for New York City Public Schools and the School Construction Authority, opening with a light exchange with students before turning to testimony.
- Chancellor Kamar Samuels's opening testimony for NYC Public Schools Kamar Samuels, NYC Public Schools Chancellor, testified on the FY2027 preliminary budget, joined by First Deputy Chancellor Danielle Giunta, CFO Seritta Scott, and deputy chancellors. He thanked Speaker Menin, Chair Dinowitz, and Early Childhood Education Chair Gutiérrez and outlined the
- What enrollment is NYC Public Schools projecting for FY27? Asked by Chair Eric Dinowitz about enrollment, NYC Public Schools' Erin Jahant said the agency is projecting flat enrollment based on principal survey responses, and Chancellor Kamar Samuels described a localized, school-by-school approach to planning.
- How will the class size mandate be funded without losing art, music, and specialty spaces? Asked by Chair Eric Dinowitz and Majority Whip Kamillah Hanks about meeting the state class size mandate amid space constraints, Chancellor Kamar Samuels said conversations about possible exemptions are ongoing and that the agency is working to avoid converting art, dance, and theater spaces, while
- How is NYC Public Schools planning around state Foundation Aid and the state budget? Asked by Finance Chair Linda Lee about state funding, NYC Public Schools officials discussed Foundation Aid and state budget uncertainty and their effect on the agency's planning, with Lee emphasizing alignment between the Council and the administration on protecting school funding.
- Will NYC Public Schools rein in its large contract spending, including the Ernst & Young contract? Pressed by Speaker Julie Menin on the DOE's large contract budget, including an Ernst & Young contract cited as a significant share of spending, Chancellor Kamar Samuels and staff agreed to provide contract information to the Chair and Speaker, though some specifics could not be answered at the
- How is NYC Public Schools managing rising special education due-process (Carter) cases? Asked by Speaker Julie Menin about the addition of $500 million tied to special education due-process cases, Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the agency is working on its due-process caseload and turned to its Chief Legal Officer to explain, with Menin pushing back on the projected timeline for
- Does NYC Public Schools have enough staff and capacity for early childhood education? Asked by Council Member Lynn Schulman about early childhood education, NYC Public Schools officials including Deputy Chancellor Simone Hawkins addressed staffing and capacity, and Chair Eric Dinowitz raised the 2K funding increase to about $25 million in a future year and pressed on 3K access.
- How is NYC Public Schools funding immigrant family outreach and student support? Asked by Council Member Rita Joseph about immigrant family outreach and engagement, student success centers, and community schools, NYC Public Schools officials described the agency's support programs and Joseph pressed on sustaining funding for them.
- Where will Thomas Jefferson students' program go after it is relocated? Pressed by Council Member Chris Banks about a program being moved out of Thomas Jefferson High School, NYC Public Schools' Jane Martinez Dowling said work-based learning and modernized YABC offerings would no longer be located at Thomas Jefferson, and Banks urged the agency to reconsider so students
- How is NYC Public Schools sustaining civics education and the NYC SOLVES math initiative? Asked by Council Member Gale Brewer, who praised the Civics for All program, Chancellor Kamar Samuels described civic education work and the NYC SOLVES initiative's focus on conceptual understanding and fluency in math.
- How accessible are school common areas like cafeterias and gyms? Asked by Council Member Mercedes Narcisse about accessibility beyond classrooms, in common areas such as cafeterias and gyms, NYC Public Schools officials addressed accessibility in school facilities, with Narcisse pressing for specifics on spaces students cannot fully use.
- Why does Summer Rising attendance drop, and how will it be improved? Asked by Council Member Phil Wong, a CEC member, about Summer Rising, NYC Public Schools officials addressed why attendance falls off later in the program and how the agency is working to improve participation, drawing on parent feedback Wong relayed.
- What is NYC Public Schools doing to expand programs for multilingual learners and specialized programs? In an extended exchange with Council Member Julie Won, NYC Public Schools officials including Deputy Chancellor Christina Foti discussed expanding specialized and multilingual-learner programs and the resources required, agreeing to follow up with specific dollar figures.
- School Construction Authority's testimony on the capital plan School Construction Authority President and CEO Nina Kubota testified on the SCA's capital program and seat-creation work, joined by SCA staff, addressing new seats slated to come online and the agency's approach to space and accessibility upgrades.
- Is the SCA creating enough seats to meet the class size mandate? Asked by Chair Eric Dinowitz whether all districts needing seats would reach compliance, the School Construction Authority addressed its seat target, revising a previously stated figure of 70,000 seats, and discussed coordination with NYC Public Schools given the agency's flat enrollment projection.
- How will rising borrowing and construction costs affect the SCA capital plan? Asked by Chair Eric Dinowitz and Council Member Susan Zhuang about funding, the School Construction Authority discussed how higher borrowing costs and full funding of projects affect timing, with Nina Kubota and staff noting they prioritize projects within available capital.
- What will it cost the SCA to make schools accessible? Asked by Chair Eric Dinowitz about accessibility, the School Construction Authority addressed its prior estimate that roughly $4 billion would be needed to reach maximum practical accessibility across schools, and whether that figure has been updated, with Nina Kubota describing how unused offices
- Students and youth organizers on immigrant student supports Students and youth activists, many from the Ya-Ya Network and Make the Road New York, testified that budget cuts threaten immigrant student supports and urged the Council to protect funding, including Angela Hernandez, Connie Chen, Adrina Rokib, Anyinelda Santana Candelier, Diaraye Bah, Hadia Ali
- Students and educators on restorative justice and community schools Students and community-school staff testified about the value of restorative justice and community schools, including Serenity DeJesus and Ashley Frato (Community School for Social Justice / New York Edge), Andrea Alonso Rodriguez and Sebastian Martinez (Bushwick community schools, Make the Road)
Agenda
1 item
- T2026-1363 New York City Council Budget and Oversight Hearings on The Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, The Preliminary Capital Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2030 and The Fiscal 2026 Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report 9:30 a.m. Department of Education (Expense) 1:00 p.m. School Construction Authority Hearing Held by Committee