Gov. Kathy Hokul and the state Legislature will come under pressure next year to lift New York City’s charter school caps after New York state education officials on Wednesday allocated the last of 14 “zombie” slots that lawmakers reluctantly approved last year.
The SUNY Charter Commission voted to allow the high-performing charter school networks of Success Academy, Zeta and South Bronx Classical to fill six of the remaining nine charter school slots.
“One thing is clear: We need more charters. We’re not going to get any more charters unless Albany gives them,” Joe Bellack, chairman of the commission, one of the groups that grants charters, said in an interview.
“These charter school networks run great schools. No one here would dispute what we’ve done here today,” he said.
There are 282 charter schools in the city, serving approximately 150,000 students, or 15% of the public school population.
Two new Success Academy charter schools are expected to open in fall 2026, serving 190 students in grades K-1 each, increasing enrollment to 675 students.
Success Academy is able to open another school through an approved license transferred from another entity that was previously approved but never ended up opening – a recycled, so-called zombie slot.
Three other Success Academy charter schools have also been pre-approved but can only open if Albany removes or raises the cap.
The Zeta Charter School Network has been awarded three charters to operate K-5 schools in Queens, with plans to open in August 2025. A fourth Zeta school has been pre-approved but can only open if space becomes available in the city.
South Bronx Classical Culture School V will open in August 2025 and serve 120 students in kindergarten through first grade, expanding to 360 students in kindergarten through fifth grade when fully phased in.
Meanwhile, Urban Dove Team Charter School has received approval to open a transition high school for students who are struggling academically. Unlike traditional transition schools, which accept students at age 17, Urban Dove will enroll students at age 15.
Urban Dove 5 is expected to open in July 2025, serving 110 students and then expand to accommodate 305 charter students.
Next Generation Charter School will open in the Bronx in August 2026, serving 156 students in kindergarten through first grade, and will expand to 468 students in kindergarten through fifth grade when fully phased in.
Finally, Lamad Urban Academy Charter School will open on the Rockaway Peninsula in September 2025. The school will serve 150 students in kindergarten through first grade and will serve 450 students in kindergarten through fifth grade once fully operational.
“These nine new charter schools will make a world of difference for families who have been waiting for schools in their communities that meet the needs of their children,” said Crystal McQueen-Taylor, executive director of StudentsFirstNY, a pro-charter school lobbying group.
“But this approval leaves talented, innovative and diverse operators ready to serve families looking on the outside. Supply and demand remain tragically mismatched in New York City, and I will not rest until every student has access to the great public education their parents want and deserve.”
Hokel’s office declined to say whether it would push to lift the charter school cap, as it did last year, when lawmakers aligned with anti-charter teachers unions agreed to repurpose 14 lapsed “zombie” charter schools for other organizations.
“Since taking office, Governor Hawkle has made record investments in education, increasing school aid by $6.5 billion, and she will continue to work with the Legislature to provide quality educational opportunities for New York state students,” a spokesperson for Governor Hawkle said.
The ranking chairmen of the Senate and Assembly education committees said Wednesday they have no intention of raising enrollment limits for charter schools.
“New York City’s long-standing cap on the number of charter schools was put in place to provide some choice while preserving the city’s ability to keep its public schools open to all students. Barring dramatic developments, this is not going to be an issue on next year’s legislative agenda,” said state Sen. John Liu (D-Queens), who chairs the committee that oversees city schools.
Assembly Education Committee Chairman Michael Benedetto (D-Benedetto) said it was “unlikely” the cap could be lifted next year.
Charter schools are publicly funded but privately run by nonprofit educational organizations, and most of their staff are non-union.
These schools typically have more school days and years than traditional public schools, and their students typically outperform their traditional public school peers on standardized math and English tests.
