Public School Enrollment Rate Decreased by 12%: New York City Comptroller Proposes School Mergers to Achieve Small Class Sizes

The entrance rate of public schools in New York City has decreased by 12% over the past decade, with the loss of black students being the main concern. City Comptroller Brad Lander recently released a report on school mergers under the premise of implementing the Small Class Size Act, using the creation of “Arts & Letters 305 United” in Brooklyn’s 13th School District as an example to demonstrate the feasibility of merging schools to implement small class sizes.

Comptroller Lander stated in a declaration on May 7th that as New York City strives to meet class size requirements, the Department of Education has the opportunity to promote willing and inclusive school mergers to reduce class sizes, improve student performance, and advance the vision of reducing racial segregation in the public school system.

A report titled “Intentional and Inclusive School Mergers,” jointly launched by Lander’s office and the non-profit organization New York Appleseed, which advocates for racial diversity, on May 6th, focuses on efforts to reduce class sizes and address declining enrollment rates, prioritizing genuine integration.

According to the class size requirements stipulated in the Small Class Size Act, 61% of New York City public schools do not meet the standard. However, the enrollment rate in public schools decreased by 12% between 2012 and 2022. The report suggests that the New York City Department of Education should focus on schools that are over-enrolled or have inadequate enrollment and consider merging campuses to address the high cost of redeveloping schools to implement small class sizes.

The “School Mergers” report advises the New York City Department of Education to “identify opportunities for school mergers to achieve class size compliance and better school integration, including reducing racial and socioeconomic disparities and/or isolation within school districts, narrowing opportunity gaps, and ensuring under-enrolled and under-resourced schools have more opportunities.”

The report also emphasizes that public schools must embody five “Rs”: racial diversity, representative educational leadership, establishment of relationships across diverse backgrounds, restorative justice, and equitable allocation of resources.

Using “Arts & Letters 305 United” as a case study for merging public schools to achieve small class sizes, the “School Mergers” report highlights the positive feedback obtained from this initiative. The school, which combines the over-enrolled Academy of Arts & Letters with the severely under-enrolled P.S. 305 public elementary school three years ago, offers public education from kindergarten to 8th grade.

According to the report, the Brooklyn 13th School District, where “Arts & Letters 305 United” is located, has undergone rapid gentrification over the past decade, with a 40% decrease in the number of black students and a 63% increase in white students. The merger of “Arts & Letters 305 United” has provided more space for students and families of the original arts and letters academy, while parents and staff of the former P.S. 305 believe that it has enhanced the services and extracurricular activities available to students.