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NYC public school enrollment rises for 1st time in 8 years
By
Jessica Gould
Published Nov 15, 2023
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By
Jessica Gould
Published Nov 15, 2023
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Enrollment in New York City public schools has climbed for the first time in eight years, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday, touting the news as a sign that the city “is back.”
The rise in enrollment coincides with the arrival of thousands of migrant families in the city over the last 18 months – but comes as Adams continues to discourage asylum-seekers from coming to New York.
According to the education department, preliminary enrollment data shows an increase of 8,000 students — or roughly 1% — from last school year. That brings the total number of students registered in the city’s public schools to approximately 915,000.
“When we say New York City is back, we are not just talking about our economy — we are talking about our communities and our entire city,” Adams said in a statement. “New Yorkers are voting with their feet.”
Officials have also said that some 12,500 students in temporary housing entered the school system since July, and the vast majority are presumed to be migrants. That’s more than the net gain in enrollment reported by the education department, which raises questions about whether migrant students are leaving schools shortly after enrolling — or if the system continues to lose other students at a steady clip, as has been the trend for years.
The rise in enrollment means 57% of the city’s schools will receive an average funding boost of $209,000 this school year, totaling to an extra $183 million.
But the boost in school-level funding is likely to come alongside other reductions. While the majority of schools' budgets will increase, many others with lower enrollment will receive less funding.
Adams has also promised “extremely painful” cuts to every city agency, which he is expected to announce as part of budget modifications on Thursday.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Adams said the cost of serving migrant families is forcing him to slash every agency’s budget by 5% and indicated there will be fewer than expected school safety agents among other cuts. He said parents may have to pick up the slack.
“We are going to be leaning into parents and parent groups to do some volunteerism,” Adams said.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said the increase in enrollment demonstrates the need to increase education funding overall.
"Families are returning to our public schools — now is not the time to cut funding to our school communities or to reduce services for our students," Mulgrew said.
Tagged
new york city
education
Politics
Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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