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Bill

S 10615

Relates to extending the deadline for reduction in class size under contracts for excellence in a city school district in a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants

2025 Regular Session Introduced by John Liu

Creates a funded plan to cut NYC class sizes to set targets by grade, phased to full compliance by 2030, tied to foundation aid for high-need students.

SUBSTITUTED BY A11539
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Bill Summary · S 10615

Summary of Bill S 10615 (2025-2026, New York)

Purpose and intent

  • Relates to extending and clarifying the deadline and requirements for reducing class sizes under contracts for excellence in a city school district with a population of one million or more (i.e., New York City).
  • Establishes a mandatory class size reduction plan linked to the use of additional foundation aid or grants, with specified targets and a multi-year timetable.

Key provisions and changes

  • Targeted district: City school districts in a city with 1,000,000+ residents (primarily New York City).
  • Class size reduction plan requirements (to be included in a collective bargaining agreement):
    • Beginning in September 2022, a plan developed in collaboration with teacher and principal bargaining units, and signed off by the chancellor and bargaining unit presidents.
    • Goals to reduce actual class sizes beginning September 2023, with full compliance by September 2030 (earlier target of 2028 in prior drafts appears updated to 2030 in this bill).
    • Specific class size targets:
    • Kindergarten–3rd grade: no more than 20 students per class.
    • 4th–8th grade: no more than 23 students per class.
    • High school: no more than 25 students per class.
    • Physical education and performing groups: no more than 40 students per class.
    • Over a four-year ramp-up to full compliance:
    • For the first three years, an additional 20% of classrooms must meet the targets.
    • For the following four years, an additional 10% of classrooms must meet the targets.
    • Full compliance by 2030, with continuous maintenance of targets thereafter.
    • Exemptions:
    • Allowed exemptions (subject to approval): space, over-enrolled students, license area shortages, and severe economic distress.
    • Exemptions must be approved by the chancellor and bargaining unit presidents; if no agreement within 30 days, an arbitrator decides.
    • Exemption situations involving space must reference the capital budget to show alignment with resolving the exemption.
    • Exempted classes (and special education classes) do not count toward the applicable target percentage during the years they are exempt.
  • Allocation linkage:
    • The contract must specify that the additional amounts of total foundation aid or grants are used for the new or expanded programs that primarily benefit students with the greatest educational needs (including limited English proficiency, poverty, and disabilities).

Who/what is affected

  • Primary: New York City Department of Education and the city school district serving NYC students.
  • Affects all public schools under the district, with emphasis on elementary and secondary class size metrics.
  • Involves collaboration between the chancellor, classroom teachers’ unions, and principals’ unions for plan development and implementation.
  • Impacts budgeting and staffing decisions tied to foundation aid or grants designated for excellence contracts.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: July 1, 2026.
  • Plan development timeline:
    • Collaboration with bargaining units began in September 2022 (per plan requirements).
    • Implementation of reduced class sizes begins in September 2023.
    • Staged compliance with increasing percentages of classrooms meeting targets over a four-to-seven-year window, culminating in full compliance by September 2030.
  • Exemption process:
    • Exemptions require mutual agreement; unresolved issues go to arbitration after 30 days.
    • Space-related exemptions must reference capital budget alignment.

Notable details

  • Class size targets exclude special education classes from the counting toward the target percentages during exemption years.
  • Exemption approvals require joint sign-off by the chancellor and bargaining unit presidents.

Bottom line

S 10615 seeks to formalize and extend a multi-year, funding-linked plan to reduce class sizes in NYC’s largest city school district, setting explicit per-grade targets, a phased compliance schedule through 2030, and a defined framework for exemptions and arbitration. The bill ties the use of additional aid to targeted improvements for students with the greatest educational needs.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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