A 11539: Extends 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.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 11539  IN ASSEMBLY June 1, 2026 ___________ Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Alvarez, Benedetto) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to contracts for excel- lence in a city school district in a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subparagraph (i) and clauses (A) and (B) of subparagraph 2 (ii) of paragraph b of subdivision 2 of section 211-d of the education 3 law, subparagraph (i) as amended by section 2 of part A of chapter 57 of 4 the laws of 2008, clause (A) of subparagraph (ii) as amended by chapter 5 86 of the laws of 2023, and clause (B) of subparagraph (ii) as amended 6 by chapter 556 of the laws of 2022, are amended to read as follows: 7 (i) The contract shall specify the new or expanded programs for which 8 additional amounts of such total foundation aid[,] or grant shall be 9 used and shall affirm that such programs shall predominately benefit 10 students with the greatest educational needs including, but not limited 11 to, those students with limited English proficiency, students in poverty 12 and students with disabilities. 13 (A) In a city school district in a city having a population of one 14 million or more inhabitants such contract shall also include a plan, 15 which shall be developed in collaboration with the collective bargaining 16 units representing teachers and the principals beginning in September 17 two thousand twenty-two and signed off on by the chancellor and the 18 presidents of each bargaining unit, to reduce actual class sizes, begin- 19 ning September two thousand twenty-three and to be achieved by September 20 two thousand [twenty-eight] thirty for all classes, with the exception 21 of physical education and performing groups, as follows: (1) kindergar- 22 ten-third grade to have no more than twenty students per class; (2) 23 fourth-eighth grade to have no more than twenty-three students per 24 class; and (3) high school to have no more than twenty-five students per 25 class. Physical education and performing groups shall have no more than 26 forty students per class at all levels. [Each year] For each of the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD16040-02-6 
 A. 11539 2 1 first three years of the plan, an additional twenty percent of the 2 classrooms in the city school district, excluding special education 3 classes, shall be in compliance with the class size targets, and for 4 each of the following four years, an additional ten percent of the 5 classrooms in the city school district, excluding special education 6 classes, shall be in compliance with the class size targets such that 7 the city school district is in full compliance by two thousand [twenty- 8 eight] thirty and all classes should maintain the target class size. The 9 class size reduction plan shall prioritize schools serving populations 10 with higher poverty levels. 11 (B) The class size reduction plan shall include any exemptions to the 12 class size targets. These exemptions shall be limited to: (1) space; (2) 13 over-enrolled students; (3) license area shortages; and (4) severe 14 economic distress. Any such exemptions shall be approved by the chancel- 15 lor and the presidents of the collective bargaining units representing 16 the teachers and the principals as part of the class size reduction 17 plan. Should the chancellor and the presidents of the collective 18 bargaining units representing the teachers and the principals be unable 19 to reach agreement on the exemptions after thirty days, the issue shall 20 be determined by an arbitrator. In addition, any exemption based on 21 available space shall include a reference to the capital budget to 22 demonstrate that the budget is aligned with resolving the exemption 23 status. Exempted classes, for the years in which they are exempt, and 24 special education classes shall not count toward the [twenty percent] 25 applicable target percentage. 26 § 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.