Mamdani backs 2-year delay for Nyc Schools class-size mandate
Zohran Mamdani backed legislation on Monday that would give nyc schools two more years to meet the state class-size law, pushing the deadline to the 2029-30 school year. The proposal keeps the city on a compliance track, but at a slower pace, after New York lawmakers and the United Federation of Teachers agreed on a compromise.
Mamdani and Mulgrew
The legislation would extend the city’s timeline from the 2028 deadline set in the 2022 law. Under the new plan, classes in kindergarten through third grade would be capped at 20 students, grades 4 through 8 at 23 students, and high school classes at 25 students.
Michael Mulgrew said Monday, “We did not want an extension — we want compliance” and added, “Our goal is compliance.” He also said, “But the reality is that New York City, up until now, had not done all that was needed to make this law a reality in every classroom. If giving this new administration two more years gets us a partner committed to building the necessary seats, then it is the fastest way to turn the law into reality.”
State Law and Compliance
The proposal sets interim targets before the final deadline. The city must be within 70 percent compliance by the upcoming school year and 90 percent compliance by 2028-29. Teachers whose classes remain above the new limits because of approved hard-to-staff and space exemptions would be eligible for a differential of up to $8,500 in the 2026-27 school year and $9,500 in 2027-28.
Mulgrew said in an internal email that the union hoped the differential would help drive recruitment, hiring and construction. He wrote, “We hope a differential will be an incentive to do the recruitment, hiring, and construction needed to fulfill the law. Smaller classes are the future of our school system. No one thought it was possible, but now more than 60 percent of classes are smaller as a result of this law. We have to keep pushing to bring this change to all children and all schools.”
Costs in New York City
The city faces up to $1.7 billion in teacher salary costs and $18 billion for new school construction to meet the requirement. Mamdani had initially promised to hire 1,000 teachers annually as part of a $12 million-per-year initiative, but the legislation gives his administration extra time to build toward the law’s staffing and space demands.
That leaves nyc schools with a slower timetable but the same end point: smaller classes, a later deadline, and a compliance schedule that now runs through 2029-30. For families and teachers, the immediate issue is not whether the caps disappear, but how quickly the city can add staff and seats to reach them.
