Provides that in a city with a population of one million or more, where a student is applying to attend a public elementary or middle school and such student has a sibling who already attends such school, such student whose application is pending shall be given preference for admission.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A6594
SPONSOR: Berger
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to providing school
application preference when a student is applying to the same public
elementary or middle school as a sibling
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL::
The purpose of this bill is to provide families with an equitable oppor-
tunity to send their children to the same public elementary or middle
school in a city with a population of one million or more.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section 1 of the bill amends Education Law by adding section 3203-a.
Section 2 of the bill provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION::
This bill would help to avoid the logistic, economic, and emotional
difficulties families face with the impossibility of dropping off and
picking up children from two different schools at the same time.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS::
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE::
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6594
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 6, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BERGER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing school
application preference when a student is applying to the same public
elementary or middle school as a sibling
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3203-a
2 to read as follows:
3 § 3203-a. School application preference for siblings in a city with a
4 population of one million or more. Notwithstanding any other law, rule
5 or regulation to the contrary, in a city with a population of one
6 million or more, where a student is applying or waitlisted to attend a
7 public elementary or middle school and such student has a sibling who
8 already attends such school being applied to, such student whose appli-
9 cation is pending shall be given preference for admission as a result of
10 having a sibling who already attends such school.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07025-01-5