Speaker Corey Johnson, Announces Agreement on FY 2021 Budget

The $88.19 billion budget reduces spending and restructures the NYPD while restoring $700 million in programs and initiatives that the de Blasio Administration had cut in the Executive Budget

  Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, and Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson on Tuesday announced an agreement on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget. The Fiscal Year 2021 Adopted Budget includes $837 million in cuts and transfers to the New York Police Department (NYPD) expense budget. When combined with associated costs, these cuts remove $1 billion from the NYPD’s spending. This was a hard-fought battle, which marks the beginning of the Council’s efforts to not only limit the size and scope of the NYPD, but also reimagine how we structure criminal justice and public safety in this city.  

The $88.19 billion budget, which is on time and balanced, was negotiated with a focus on achieving equity, particularly for low-income communities of color. Despite unprecedented challenges due to a $9 billion revenue shortfall from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council fought for and won $700 million for programs and initiatives left out of the FY 2021 Executive Budget. These programs and initiatives will go towards helping our young people, schools, seniors, and low-income communities of color, to name a few. More details below.  

The restorations of the Executive Budget cuts and the Council’s initiative package were made possible in part due to more than $300 million in agency savings that the Council identified for the de Blasio Administration. In addition, the FY 2021 Budget was balanced with budget reserves the City had at its disposal because of the Council’s advocacy in past budget negotiations. Under Speaker Johnson, the Council negotiated an additional $500 million for the City’s reserves last year, which has softened the blow of the recession. The Council hopes and continues to advocate for our federal leaders to deliver a robust aid package to New York, as well as more state aid.  

“The Council came into this year’s budget negotiations laser-focused on preserving the social safety net while grappling with unprecedented revenue shortfalls. We are proud of the work we did to save the types of programs and initiatives we need to rebuild post-COVID, including the Summer Youth Employment Program, community food pantries, domestic violence programs, money that will go directly into school budgets, senior services, and alternatives to incarceration. We also heard the calls for reimagining the NYPD, and pushed for and won spending reductions to the Department. That work is not over, and while we have made progress, we are also vowing to keep fighting for fundamental changes to how we approach safety in schools, mental health and homelessness. Over the coming weeks, the Council will be working on hearings and legislation to make sure that these changes are real. Our City faces many challenges ahead, but the Council will work together to keep fighting on behalf of all New Yorkers,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. 

The FY2021 budget will:  

·       Save Summer – The Council has secured $115.8 million to bring back the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and the COMPASS, Beacon, and Cornerstone summer camp programs.  Thanks to this restoration more than 35,000 youth will participate in a job training programs and at least 70,000 children will enjoy a summer camp experience. The Work, Learn, Grow program that offers students paid work experiences during the school year will provide up to 2,000 jobs next school year. 

·       Reduce and Reform the NYPD – The budget reduces police spending and shrinks NYPD’s footprint.  The reduction includes nearly $484 million in cuts, $354 million in shifts to other agencies best positioned to carry out the duties that have previously been assigned to the NYPD, such as DOE, DOHMH and DHS, and $162 million shifts in associated costs, as well as a movement of $500 million in capital costs from the NYPD capital budget which allows investment in other badly needed infrastructure. The Council will be moving forward with hearings and legislation in July to ensure a just transition away from law enforcement in schools, homelessness and mental health, so that we can make certain that this is not just a budget shift.

o   Eliminating two of the four NYPD classes this year, reducing headcount by 1,163 uniform officers and creating ongoing savings without laying off our newest officers under the city’s last in, first out rule.  

o   Returning control of School Safety to the Department of Education, ending a harmful zero-tolerance plan implemented by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to put the police department in charge of school safety. The new agreement includes a commitment to working with stakeholders, school administrators, advocates and school safety officers to move toward a community model and away from a punitive, enforcement-focused model.  

o   Removing NYPD from homeless outreach. Police often merely moved these individuals from one unsafe spot to another, continuing the cycle of injustice. The new model will focus on meaningful outreach by individuals trained to deal with this vulnerable population.  

o   Reducing overtime spending by $352 million and instituting strict oversight on overtime limits.  

o   Removing crossing guards from NYPD. 

·       Protect Public Schools – The Council recognized the need to shield our public schools and students from drastic budget cuts that would have, not only pared school budgets to the bones, but also would have stripped students of access to the social and emotional supports they need to thrive academically. The Council restored $100 million in Fair Student Funding, $11.6 million for the Single Shepherd guidance counselors, $4.8 million for 38 social workers, and $1.8 million for other social-emotional supports for students. This budget also funds school health programs so that there is a school nurse for every public school building. 

·       Help College Students Graduate – Because of the Council’s Advocacy, the CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) will be maintained with $34.3 million to help students stay on track and graduate. The Council also restored $1.7 million for the CUNY Remediation Program that helps students prepared for college course work. 

·       Preserve Youth Initiatives – The Fair Futures campaign for foster youth will receive $2.7 million, childcare vouchers will get $4 million, and discretionary childcare contracts will receive $8.7 million.  

·       Prevent Food Insecurity – In addition to the $25 million that the Council had previously negotiated to prevent food insecurity, the adopted budget will include $8.6 million in food initiatives to ensure that New Yorkers do not go hungry. 

·       Promote LGBTQIA Rights – Particularly during Pride, the Council is proud that the budget will include $1.8 million for the LGBTQ curriculum at the DOE and $1 million at the City University of New York (CUNY), as well as $1.4 million for LGBTQ senior services in every borough and $1.9 million for Trans Equity Programs. 

·       Maintain Culture and the Arts – Culture and the arts drive tourism and will contribute significantly to our economy and our recovery. The Adopted Budget will include $20.2 million for cultural programs and Cultural Institutions Groups, $14.3 million and $1 million for the CASA and SU-CASA initiatives, respectively, and $3.7 million for the Coalition Theaters of Color initiative. 

·       Support Libraries – The Adopted Budget will include $11.9 million to support the City’s three library systems.  With this funding, the libraries will be able to maintain in programming and circulation, cover critical operating expenses, including repairs and upkeep that are not eligible for capital funds. 

·       Protect Survivors of Domestic Violence – The budget will include $12.2 million in services to help survivors of domestic violence, a full budget restoration of the Council initiative. The Council launched a social media campaign, #BeingSafeCANTWait, this spring to amplify the message that help was available to survivors during the pandemic. Sheltering in place has been incredibly dangerous for those facing domestic violence. Some countries saw a 30% increase in domestic violence reports after COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed. We should prepare for the same.  

·       Strengthen Small Businesses and Workers – In this economic climate, it is imperative that we do all we can to support the small businesses and workers who will help New York City recover. The budget will provide $1.6 million to Chamber on the Go, $3 million for Worker Coop Business Development, $1 million for Construction Site Safety Training, and $2.8 million for the Day Laborer Workforce Initiative. 

·       Engage Our Seniors – The budget will include $8.4 million for senior centers, $6.5 million for Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, and $4 million to support Holocaust survivors. 

·       Provide Housing – Because the eviction moratorium put in place as a result of COVID-19 will soon be lifted, securing housing is imperative. Due to the Council’s advocacy, the budget will include $3.2 million for Foreclosure Prevention Programs, $3.1 million for Community Housing Preservation Strategies, $1.7 million for the Home Loan Program, and $637,500 for the Community Land Trust Initiative. 

·       Assist Immigrants – COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on many of the City’s immigrant residents, made worse by an inability to access many federal programs intended to help. The Council fought to include $9.8 million for adult literacy, $2 million for the Immigrant Health Initiative, $4 million for unaccompanied minors and families, and $16.6 million for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project to be included in the budget. 

·       Promote Criminal Justice – In continuation of the Council’s longstanding push for criminal justice, the budget will include $11.9 million for Alternatives to Incarceration, $2.2 million for diversion programs, $4.1 million to support people involved in the sex trade, $3.2 million for the Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault, and $2.9 million for the Crisis Management System

Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Members Debi Rose, Inez Barron,Adrienne Adams and DeneekMiller Demand Removal of Thomas Jefferson Statue from City Hall

  Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Debi Rose, Council Member Inez Barron, and Co- Chairs of the Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC), Council Member Adrienne Adams and, I Daneek Miller, today called for the removal of the Thomas Jefferson statue, located in the Council Chambers in City Hall. The Chambers are a place where the Council votes on bills to improve the lives of all New Yorkers and build a more just city. The statue of this well-known slave owner is a reminder of the injustices that have plagued communities of color since the inception of our country. In a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Council requests support for removal of the statue.

The letter is below.

Dear Mayor de Blasio: 

In the last few weeks, New Yorkers have called on all of us in elected office to make bold change so that communities of color feel heard, protected and represented. The City Council is committed to creating true reforms to policies and policing that hurt Black New Yorkers.

But that is not enough. There are disturbing images of divisiveness and racism in our City that need to be revisited immediately. That starts with City Hall. 

The statue of Thomas Jefferson in the City Council Chambers is inappropriate and serves as a constant reminder of the injustices that have plagued communities of color since the inception of our country. It must be removed. 

Jefferson is America’s most noted slave holder, a man who owned more than 600 Black women and men and a scholar who maintained that Blacks were inferior to whites.

The City Council Chambers is a place where we vote on bills to improve the lives of all New Yorkers and build a more fair and just city. It is not a suitable place for a statue of Thomas Jefferson. Keeping it in City Hall sends a terrible message to the people who are counting on us to work towards a more equitable New York City. 

We urge you to support our efforts as we go to the design commission to expeditiously remove this statue.

Sincerely, 

COREY JOHNSON Speaker, DEBORAH ROSE Council Member, INEZ D. BARRON Council Member, ADRIENNE ADAMS Co-Chair, Black, Latino & Asian Caucus, I. DANEEK MILLER Co-Chair, Black, Latino & Asian Caucus .

Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson and Mayor Bill de Blasio Announce Agreement on FY 2019 Budget

The budget agreement strengthens the City’s social safety net for the poorest New Yorkers and helps seniors, homeowners and young people while remaining fiscally prudent

  Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson and Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. The Fiscal Year 2019 budget includes many of the priorities the Council pushed for to improve the lives of all New Yorkers, including the Fair Fares discount MetroCards program, increased budget reserves, and prioritizing permanent housing in response to the city’s affordability crisis.

Those priorities – as well as increased resources for libraries, after school programs, trash pick-up, and summer youth employment – are the result of the Council fighting for creative solutions to protect the City’s most vulnerable and the Council’s commitment to provide much-needed resources to as many New Yorkers as possible. The Council is mindful that although this budget is being adopted in a time of prosperity, the City’s finances could change. Therefore, the Council pushed for and succeeded in attaining fiscally prudent budgeting practices to protect the City’s future.

This year with the formation of the new Capital Budget subcommittee, the Council scored significant wins in the city’s Capital Budget. That includes $150 million to make schools handicap accessible, $60 million for libraries capital funding, and $5.8 billion in excess appropriation rescinded.

“This is my first budget as Speaker, and I am very proud of what it says about this Council’s priorities. We are creating a new approach to fighting poverty with our Fair Fares program, which could save $700 a year for eligible New Yorkers in desperate need of a break. Now that New York City has joined the Fair Fares movement, it is my hope that its success here leads other cities across the country to follow suit. To battle the city’s affordability crisis, we have prioritized permanent housing in a plan that will bring 2,000 units of supportive housing over the next 11 years, and an extra $150 million in Capital funds will go towards making schools handicapped accessible. This budget is the result of the Council working together and prioritizing big ticket items that we know will help New Yorkers in all five boroughs,” said Speaker Corey Johnson.

“New Yorkers spoke, and we listened. Working closely together, the Council and the administration have devised a progressive budget that truly delivers for our city. There is much to celebrate in this budget.  Among the many major wins are $106 million for Fair Fares that will provide those living at or below the federal poverty line with half-priced MetroCards; $150 million to make New York City public schools more accessible to people living with disabilities; and $125 million in Fair Student Funding which will allow principals to determine what area in their school needs additional support.  The Council and the Administration have also succeeded in bolstering NYC’s reserves by $225 million.  This strengthens the City’s ability to weather any downturn that may arise in the future without having to make painful cuts or increase taxes.  I want to take this opportunity to thank Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Johnson, Capital Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson, Finance Division Director Latonia McKinney and the other dedicated members of the Finance division for their efforts.  Together we have produced a budget that will move our city forward, and for that I am grateful,” said Committee on Finance Chair Daniel Dromm.

“I’m incredibly proud of this budget and the strong spirit of collaboration of the Council that enabled us to protect, create, and even enhance a number of programs that will benefit the people to New York in the coming year. It has been an honor to chair the City Council’s first ever Subcommittee on Capital Budget and I am proud that New York is leading the way in oversight of municipal spending on capital projects.  New York’s FY19 budget has greater capital transparency than ever before, and I thank our partners in the Mayor’s Office and the Office of Budget and Management for working with me to reduce excess appropriations and allocate tax payer dollars for capital projects in a more efficient manner. In addition to our capital budget victories, I am truly overjoyed that, under the strong leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson, the FY19 budget will finally include the much needed fair fares program, which reduces the cost of transit for very low income New Yorkers and alleviates the burden of transit costs for those working to achieve economic stability. As this year’s budget process draws to a close, I remain thankful for the leadership and partnership of our Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Chair Danny Dromm, City Council Finance Director Latonia McKinney, and the entire City Council Finance Team. Together, we have made incredible progress to invest in resources and programs that serve to enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers,” said Subcommittee on Capital Budget Chair Vanessa Gibson. 

“We started the fight for Fair Fares two years ago and today we can celebrate a significant victory. I am proud to stand by the Community Services Society and Riders Alliance as a longtime ally in celebrating this win for New Yorkers for whom the choice between a MTA fare and a necessity just got a little easier. I congratulate my colleagues in the Council who under the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson never lost sight of the importance of making equity in public transportation a priority in this budget,” said Committee on Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez.

The FY2019 budget will include:

COUNCIL PRIORITIES: 

• Fair Fares: One of the most significant achievements in this budget is the funding of Fair Fares. This program will make nearly 800,000 New Yorkers living at or below the federal poverty level eligible for half-price MetroCards, thereby saving them more than $700 per year in transportation costs. In addition, 12,000 veterans enrolled in New York City Colleges will also be eligible for the discount MetroCards. In this city, mobility is opportunity. The $106 million included for Fiscal 2019 and the commitment by the Administration to continue to fully fund the program in the out years will literally open turnstiles and doors to the neediest residents.

• Increased Reserves: The Adopted Budget will add $225 million to the City’s reserves. According to recent Finance Division analysis, there is a one-in-five chance that the current level of reserves is not enough to make it through the Financial Plan period without having to make budget cuts or raise taxes. This infusion will help the City avoid painful spending cuts or tax increases during downturns allowing New York City to instead draw on its fiscal cushions.

• A Road to Property Tax Reform: The Mayor and the Council jointly announced the creation of a Property Tax Reform Commission. To develop recommendations to reform New York City’s property tax system to make it simpler, clearer, and fairer, while ensuring that there is no reduction in revenue used to fund essential City services. The commission will solicit input from the public by holding at least ten public hearings. The last in-depth review of the system by a government-appointed commission was in 1993.

• Direct Education Dollars To Schools: The Mayor and Council have agreed to baseline $125 million for Fair Student Funding. This boosts core funding for schools across the city and puts spending authority for educational initiatives back in the schools where it belongs. 

• School Accessibility: No student should be prevented from attending their preferred school because they cannot get up the stairs and no parent should have to miss a school play or a parent-teacher conference because there is no access to the auditorium or the second floor. New York City is better than that, and that is why $150 million will be added to the Adopted Budget for capital projects to increase accessibility in the City’s school buildings.

 PLANTING SEEDS FOR TOMORROW BY HELPING OUR YOUTH:

• COMPASS: $14.2 Million to continue supporting elementary after school programs citywide.
• Summer SONYC: $15 Million to restore 22,800 summer programs for students grades 6-8 citywide.
• Summer Youth Employment Program: $10.3 Million to increase the number of available jobs to 75,000 as well as to raise the minimum wage for those in the program.
• Work, Learn, Grow Jobs Program: $19 Million restored in Fiscal Year 19 to provide in-school career readiness training and paid employment opportunities to teens and young adults.

 ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR NEW YORKERS:

• Adult Literacy Program: $12 Million to fund Adult English literacy programs citywide.
• Maintain Services for Parks: $12.3 Million to increase the number of Park Maintenance Workers, extend the open period of City pools and beaches, finance tree stump removal.
• Funding for Libraries: $60 Million for new libraries in capital funds, and $16.7 million in expense funding.
• Picking Up More Trash: $3.5 for extra sanitation services.

 STRENGTHENING THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET: 

• NYCHA:  $40 Million for increased infrastructure funding.
• Supportive Housing: Increase the amount of supportive housing units created annually from 500 to 700.
• Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelters: $3 Million to create 60 new shelter beds for 21 to 24 years olds in need.
• Emergency Food Assistance Program: $8.7 Million to provide funding for soup kitchens and food pantries city wide.
• Senior Affordable Housing – $500 Million for senior affordable housing targeted at 4 Housing Preservation and Development sites and 2 NYCHA sites.

Speaker Corey Johnson, New York City Council Host “Call the Mayor” Fair Fares Digital Day of Action

  Speaker Corey Johnson and the New York City Council on Thursday hosted a digital day of action entitled “Call the Mayor” urging Mayor Bill de Blasio to include the Fair Fares proposal in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. Fair Fares is a campaign to distribute MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers at a reduced rate. Fair Fares has the support of 47 out of 51 Council Members, the majority of citywide elected officials and borough presidents and over 60 community organizations.

Speaker Johnson, Council Members, advocates and fellow elected officials are showing their support on their social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram profiles using the hashtag #FairFares. The goal of the digital day of action is to accumulate hundreds of tweets and shares across multiple platforms, reaching a wide range New Yorkers, while pressuring the de Blasio administration to include this policy change in the executive budget. Shortly after the campaign launch, both #FairFares and MetroCard were trending on Twitter in New York City.

“We need to make New York City more affordable, and we can do that by reducing travel fares for low-income citizens. This digital day of action is a 21st century way to show support for this life-changing proposal. I thank my colleagues in the Council, the advocates and fellow elected officials for joining us in this movement and demanding the Mayor include Fair Fares in this year’s budget,” said Speaker Corey Johnson.

“Low-income New Yorkers need #FairFares now. The constant rise in subway and bus fares has had a tremendous negative impact on working families.  In this day and age, no one should have to choose between a MetroCard and rent or food.  The Mayor must take action and join the Council in funding #FairFares in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget,” said Council Member Daniel Dromm, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Finance. 

“Subway access is a necessity for all New Yorkers, rich and poor. We must help our friends and neighbors who can’t afford a MetroCard. We must support Fair Fares. The time is now,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Transportation.

Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Chair Daniel Dromm, Education Chair Mark Treyger, Land Use Chair Rafael Salamanca, Release Report and Recommendations on School Planning and Siting

 

1-  Make it easier and faster to build schools

There are many districts in New York City where the funding is in the DOE Capital Plan but no school seats are sited, which demonstrates a failure to build seats in neighborhoods even when we have the resources. We need to do better.

Pilot an RFP process for finding sites for new school construction.

To get assistance in finding new opportunities for school construction, SCA could pilot a new Request for Proposals (RFP) process that allows developers to present the agency with opportunities to build new schools with a specific funding constraint dictated in the RFP

Advocate for SCA to receive Design-Build authorization from New York State.

Design-build has proven to expedite construction timelines and result in cost savings. The State should authorize SCA to use the design-build process for school construction projects.

Expand use of eminent domain, particularly in high-need districts.

In Community School Districts with the most overcrowded schools that also have limited vacant sites that are suitable for new school construction, SCA should more often use aggressive measures like eminent domain to build schools.

Convene a school design working group to consider school design flexibility.

SCA and DOE should convene a School Design Working Group to consider additional flexibility for design requirements for building schools on a small or irregular lot or in a mixed-use or affordable development. This working group could work under the direction of SCA’s school design staff, and would consist of experts in architecture, construction, and education.

Establish zoning incentives to encourage school construction in high-need districts.

Special zoning districts could be established to encourage school construction in areas of the City with the highest need. Any change to the Zoning Resolution would require public review and a vote by the City Council. These zoning incentives would be meant to encourage developers to incorporate public schools into their development plans. The provisions of each zoning district should be tailored to the specific challenges in that school district.

Continue to use the Education Construction Fund (ECF) model where appropriate.

The ECF model has been used successfully in a variety of projects, and it is an excellent way to leverage the private market to raise funding for new schools and achieve multiple policy goals, including building new affordable housing.

Lease school buildings in large-scale affordable housing projects.

SCA is a “credit tenant” (a tenant with the financial security worthy of being rated as an investment grade by any of the major credit agencies), which means a firm early commitment from SCA to lease space is very useful in helping a developer to secure financing.

Improve the site identification process.

In order to bolster the SCA’s efforts, the administration should form a mayoral-level team to review city real estate transactions and deals to identify opportunities for SCA. The Economic Development Corporation, HPD, DCAS, and DCP should be key participants. Additionally, given competing demands on City-owned or leased space, DCAS should alert DOE and SCA if a City-owned or leased property of adequate size for a school becomes available, so that DOE and SCA can consider that site for creating additional capacity.

Support or build consensus for proposed school facilities.

When SCA is proposing a new school where need is significant, public officials should make every effort to support the construction of new schools. While local input can improve the final design and ensure the school will be integrated into the surrounding neighborhood, public officials should support the siting and creation of new schools where SCA and DOE have demonstrated a need for new school seats.

2- Accurately describe the problem

There are legitimate concerns about the integrity of the data used by SCA to develop the identified need for each capital plan. Listed below are several recommendations for each of the data sources used for the capital planning process.

Include confidence intervals in enrollment projections.

SCA’s demographers should incorporate confidence intervals into their projections to allow the public to see what range of student populations SCA is considering when deciding where new school construction will be funded.

Implement Blue Book Working Group (BBWG) recommendations that have not yet been implemented, particularly regarding class size.

The BBWG made a series of recommendations that have been partly implemented, but some of the most important recommendations were not adopted. SCA and DOE should update their target capacity class sizes to meet approved class size goals for the City under the State’s Contract for Excellence.

Develop a housing projection model.

DOB permits do not accurately reflect the number of housing units that will be built in 10 years. SCA, in conjunction with other relevant city agencies, should develop a housing projection model that creates more realistic estimates for housing construction beyond the immediate future.

Create neighborhood-based Projected Public School Ratios (PPSRs) using up-to-date Census data.

SCA should use the most current information available to develop more neighborhood-based PPSRs. The updated PPSRs should consider the number of bedrooms in housing units and other relevant factors that play a role in determining the likelihood of a household to generate children that will attend public school.

Extend the school capacity planning horizon.

The DOE Capital Plan should project seat need for a rolling, 10-year period and clearly indicate how new capacity projects completed during any plan period change the identified seat need. This would allow DOE to plan to actually meet that need in the long-term, rather than continually projecting an unachievable seat need in fixed, five-year increments.

3- Give the public and decision makers the information they need

Below are recommendations for the information that should be released in order to enhance transparency and create additional public trust in the school planning process. Making this information public would allow for an informed dialogue between community members, education policy experts, the Council, and the administration on the best way to identify where new school seat construction is needed.

Provide all data related to the identified seat need in machine-readable format at the level of planning (i.e. subdistrict level).

The subdistrict boundaries are the most important geographies for decisions by the City related to school planning. For transparency in the school planning process, the data used in the school planning process should be aggregated at the subdistrict level to ensure the public has full confidence in the way the City allocates resources related to school planning and construction.

Provide substantive information on the adjustments SCA makes to the raw seat need that results in the identified seat need.

DOE/SCA use strategies other than constructing new schools to accommodate projected student enrollment. These adjustments are likely sensible measures to take that are much more cost-efficient than building new schools. For the public to have confidence in the identified need in the Capital Plan, DOE/SCA should list what strategies are being utilized to address overcrowding before requesting funding for new school construction.

Clarify how race is incorporated into enrollment projections.

The demographers hired by SCA to project future student enrollment conduct their analysis using undisclosed algorithms to project student enrollment by race. In some cases, these enrollment projections vary dramatically by race. Projecting declining enrollments for Hispanic and Black students may deny neighborhoods that are predominately Hispanic and Black adequate school facilities in the future.

Include the planning process for pre-K seats in the Capital Plan.

DOE/SCA have no published plan for how accommodated this new program in current facilities or new planned construction. As the pre-K program continues to expand in DOE facilities, the DOE/SCA should publish their method for streamlining the pre-K program into the Capital Plan.

Improve communication with the public about potential new school sites.

When SCA receives a recommendation for a potential school site from the public, SCA should provide a meaningful response that includes detailed criteria for site selection. This would encourage the public to continue to submit potential school sites.

4- Increase use of other approaches to reduce overcrowding and foster diversity

While there are many cases where capital investment in new school construction is the only remedy, DOE interventions allow for less expensive and more flexible potential solutions to capacity needs. As the City begins to earnestly address issues of segregation in NYC public schools, the recommendations in this section can be used to address issues related to overcrowding and segregation in tandem.

The School Diversity Advisory Group should consider school capacity and utilization as part of its larger diversity plan

As part of its “Equity and Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City Public Schools” plan released in June 2017, DOE has created a School Diversity Advisory Group tasked with reviewing policies and practices and making recommendations to the Mayor and Chancellor for changes to increase diversity in DOE schools. As part of its work, the School Diversity Advisory Group should consider school capacity and utilization as part of its larger diversity plan.

Create specific school plans to alleviate overcrowding in high-need districts.

For consistently and extremely overcrowded schools in the highest need districts (as defined in the case study section of this report), DOE should publicly release a strategic plan to alleviate the overcrowding. This may include planned capacity construction in the area, but should also incorporate any non-construction strategies, as discussed in this report, as well as policies such as capping enrollment.

Adjust CSD boundaries and school zone lines to reduce overcrowding.

The CSDs with localized overcrowding are best suited for a comprehensive school rezoning effort by DOE. Although this process is often very political, solving localized overcrowding by means other than new school construction can allow SCA to build more schools in areas where no other options are available.

Expand use of special programs to attract students to underutilized facilities and ensure equity of access.

Even without undertaking a formal school rezoning, DOE can promote better utilization of existing DOE facility capacity through improving accessibility and offering attractive academic programming. By addressing the shortage of barrier-free programs and expanding programs such as dual language, career and technical education (CTE), progressive education models, and gifted and talented (G&T) programs, DOE can attract students to underutilized schools.

5-  Explore new funding strategies

A full implementation of Recommendations 2 and 3—increasing transparency in the planning process and improving the methodology of this process—would instill confidence in the accuracy of this needs assessment. After implementation of these recommendations, the administration and the Council can work together to determine the amount of funding needed to create additional capacity and a realistic but ambitious timeline in which to fully fund required school construction. In the interim, the recommendations below can help address current funding shortfalls for SCA’s Capital Plan.

Explore opportunities to raise funding through impact fees from new development.

As NYC’s real estate industry regains strength, the City should explore the feasibility of using impact fees for new developments in order for those developments to contribute their share of the costs that are a result of new students generated from their respective residential units.

Revise CEQR to lower thresholds for impacts to public schools and allow mitigation via payment into a school construction fund.

The Mayor’s Office of Environmental Coordination should work with DOE, SCA, and the City Council to revise the CEQR guidelines in order to reduce these thresholds for significant adverse impacts to public school facilities. Additionally, impacts from development should be able to be mitigated by paying into a fund for new school construction, which would help SCA build more schools.

Speaker Corey Johnson, Immigration Committee Chair Carlos Menchaca, Borough Presidents, and Council Members Send Letter to Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to Ban ICE from New York Courthouses

New York courthouses have seen a 900% increase in reports of ICE arrests or attempted arrests over the last year

  Today, Speaker Corey Johnson, Immigration Committee Chair Carlos Menchaca, Public Advocate Letitia James, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., and Council Members issued a letter to call on Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to ban U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from New York State courts.

Over the last year, New York courthouses have seen a 900% increase in reports of ICE arrests or attempted arrests, some of which are for individuals with no prior criminal history. In the process, several documented immigrants holding green cards and valid visas have been arrested as well. Many of these individuals are from particularly vulnerable groups, including those with mental health issues or those who have dealt with domestic or family violence.

This letter requests that Judge DiFiore utilize her constitutional authority to protect the civil rights of New York’s immigrants and uphold the sanctity of our courts.

“ICE agents entering courts not only interferes with highly sensitive matters being handled in our court system, but also creates a culture of fear amongst both documented and undocumented immigrants,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. “If we are to be a City that respects the judicial process, we must keep ICE out of our courts. I join my colleagues in calling on Chief Judge DiFiore to do the right thing.”

“Our justice system should not be compromised by xenophobic policies coming from the White House. For this reason, I ask Chief Judge DiFiore to keep ICE agents out of our courts. Their presence at courthouses intimidates immigrants who might be witnesses in a case, or victims of a crime. They have the right to due process,” said Immigration Committee Chair Carlos Menchaca. As the Chair of the Committee on Immigration, I will continue fighting to ensure immigrant New Yorkers have equal access to justice.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:

There were comments from the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens Borough Presidents as well as the Public Advocate and City Controller. One has to wonder why there was no comment from Bronx Borough President also, and that is why you do not see the others comments here.

We wonder why after helping Councilman Johnson become Speaker that he no longer includes the Bronx like some other citywide elected official.