Union-Friendly Bill and Class Size Requirements in NYC
A prominent state lawmaker who backed legislation aimed at promoting unions recently indicated a willingness to ease the budget constraints facing Mayor Zoran Mamdani regarding class sizes in New York City public schools.
“Mayor Mamdani has shown commitment to following state laws and addressing the issue of overcrowded classrooms, even with challenges posed by the previous administration’s lack of action,” remarked State Sen. John Liu (D-Queens), who leads the committee responsible for the city’s education policies.
Liu further stated, “It’s our responsibility to provide more time and resources for him to take actionable steps toward fulfilling his promises.” He made these comments in a statement to the *Post*.
The 2022 law from the state mandates that by next year, 80% of classrooms have no more than 20 to 25 students, depending on the grade. This aims to ensure more manageable class sizes.
According to this regulation, all classrooms are required to meet these caps by the 2027-28 academic year. Specifically, classes must have a maximum of 20 students in kindergarten through third grade, 23 in grades 4-8, and 25 in high school.
Mamdani’s preliminary budget for the city, which totals $127 billion, includes an extra $543 million earmarked for the coming school year to facilitate these class size reductions.
Estimates suggest this expense could nearly double to $943 million on an annual basis within the next three years. Notably, Mamdani previously voted in favor of the law, supporting a major priority for influential teachers’ unions.
Despite the pressures, mayors have not publicly approached Governor Kathy Hochul or the Legislature to request any delays or adjustments to the class size mandates amid a looming budget deficit.
In recent testimony, Superintendent Kamal Samuels raised concerns about whether schools could recruit the thousands of required teachers, describing the effort to meet the teaching goals by September as a “formidable task.”
Former Mayor Eric Adams expressed frustration over the law, arguing that it imposed mandates without providing sufficient funding from Albany.
While Liu’s openness to modifying the law has been noted, any proposed changes might encounter pushback from the National Teachers Union.
