Assemblyman William Colton (D – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights) says that the State Education Budget has provided a historic $2.1 billion increase for our school children, and a $600 million increase was allocated toward the NYC schools.

“On June 2 an extension on NYC mayoral control was passed together with bill A10498 which requires the NYC Department of Education to study and implement class size reductions in its schools. Bill A10498 was passed to limit the number of students per classroom in New York City public schools by 2027. The smaller classes would enhance students learning. The reduced class sizes in New York City public schools will bring them in line with class sizes in many other schools across the rest of the state. Unfortunately, the bill was quickly opposed by Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. The new city budget included cuts of $215 million in funding for the individual NYC schools budget claiming that enrollment has dropped since 2020 during the pandemic. But the cuts were made in the school budget in a year when the state has given a historic $600 million increase in aid to NYC schools,” Colton stated.

“These cuts will prevent us from increasing the number of seats and, expanding gifted class programs in all our schools, fully implementing and complying with the Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for all our special needs children, and developing quality remedial programs for all our children who have fallen below performance levels as well as reducing class size and enriching our children with music, dance and art programs. It is unacceptable to have cuts in the school budget in a year when the state has given $600 million more in aid to NYC schools. I am urging all parents to step up and fight the NYC public schools budget cuts of $215 million for the 2022-23 school year. Numerous parents will not learn of the City Budget cuts until their children return to their school in September,” Colton continued.

“My office is circulating a petition to oppose NYC public school budget cuts for the 2022-23 school year. I personally will be distributing them in the mornings on the subway platforms at various subway stations. Everyone who is interested in signing or helping distribute a petition on school cuts can come to my office at 155 Kings Highway. We demand that this historic state school budget aid must reach our classrooms. These monies should be used to establish a plan to reduce class size and expand gifted class programs in all our schools. Together we can be successful in winning this fight. We were successful in bringing back transit police onto the subway for the safety of many NYC commuters and we will be successful in reversing this terrible decision for the sake of all NYC public school students. Once again, I am urging all parents to step up and fight these cuts for all students in NYC public schools,” Colton added.