NYC school spending soars 33% as enrollment, test scores dwindle
Spending on the New York City school system skyrocketed nearly 33% since 2016 as enrollment plummeted and test scores struggled, according to new data released Tuesday.
The cost per K-12 city Department of Education student totaled more than $37,000 for the fiscal year 2022 — and that figure is only expected to rise, surpassing $41,000 by 2026 if enrollment continues to drop off, the policy briefing by the Citizens Budget Commission found.
The system lost more than 141,000 students between the school years 2015-’16 and 2021-’22, it said.
“Simultaneous spending increases and enrollment declines led to rapid increases in K-12 DOE per-student spending,” the CBC found.
The staggering data comes as the DOE faces a fiscal cliff — 30% of the recent spending increase was fueled by a one-time boost in federal pandemic aid, which is drying up, according to the report.
Because of enrollment declines, the government cost per student shot up 15% in the fiscal year 2022 from the prior year, to $37,136 per K-to-12 student.
That figure equates to an eye-popping 47% increase since 2016 when there were more than 1 million students in the public school system. Now there are 900,000 students.
Current public school spending is $37.6 billion, a nearly 5% annual increase over the past seven years.
“As projected enrollment continues to decline, per-student spending will increase to nearly $38,000 in fiscal year 2024 and more than $41,000 in fiscal year 2026, or nearly $44,000 with likely collective bargaining costs,” the CBC said, referring to a likely new labor contract with the teachers’ union that will include salary hikes.
“Decisions about the DOE’s budget should consider enrollment declines and the City’s precarious fiscal condition.”
Education spending in upcoming fiscal year 2024 budget is projected to drop by a modest $401 million to $36.5 billion, primarily due to a $243 million decrease in federal pandemic aid.
Despite the explosion in spending, students’ results on the state’s standardized test scores sunk or were flat last school year following shutdowns during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The number of third to eighth-graders proficient in math dropped nearly eight points from 45.6% of students to 38%.
Meanwhile, the pass rate on the English Language Arts exam was up a tad from 47% of students proficient in 2019 to 49%, though there was a considerable drop in proficiency among third and fourth graders.
One parent activist-turned-state lawmaker said the Big Apple is getting weak bang for its buck.
“This unchecked spending is a shame,” said Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo (R-Staten Island), who formerly served seven years as parent president of Staten Island ‘s Community Education Council 31.
“We are pouring money into a school system that doesn’t work. Students are not performing well.”
When Pirozzolo was on the school panel, the city was spending about $25,000 per student.
“It’s the definition of insanity. It’s doing the same thing over and over again,” the Republican said.
“What’s the politicians’ response? They want to stop successful charter schools.”
Democratic lawmakers and the powerful teachers union have been fighting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to lift the regional cap to open up to 100 new charter schools in the city as part of the state budget.
The CBC said the Adams administration and the DOE will have to manage the impact of enrollment declines in individual schools by reducing staffing and funding while minimizing disruptions.
The budget watchdog also suggested the DOE be candid with the public if it plans to shrink or scrap programs currently propped up with federal pandemic funds.
The analysts said the mayor’s educrats must take a scalpel to ineffective or wasteful programs and “prioritize those that deliver maximum impact to the target populations.”
Hochul and state lawmakers have struggled to adopt a new state budget, which was due April 1.
The two sides have been so deadlocked in debate over changing bail reform and housing issues that serious talks about charter school expansion haven’t even begun.
Asked about the sobering CBC analysis, a mayoral spokesman said Adams and the DOE have prepared for the budget challenge.
“This administration has been open and honest about the long-term, combined challenges of declining enrollment, programs funded by one-time federal stimulus dollars, and rising costs tied to unfunded mandates from the state,” the City Hall rep said.
“Our mission for New York City Public Schools is to provide our students with exceptional foundational skills that will set them up for long-term social and economic success, and we will do so with all of our interested partners through the budget process.”
