New York S 1002: Relates to student class size in public schools

Bill Text

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S01002 Summary:

BILL NOS01002 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A01929

&nbsp

SPONSORBROUK

&nbsp

COSPNSRMURRAY, WEIK

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add §3204-a, Ed L

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Relates to student class size in public schools in school districts located outside of a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants; requires such districts to develop a plan to reduce actual class sizes beginning September two thousand twenty-five.

Go to top S01002 Actions:

BILL NOS01002 

&nbsp

01/08/2025REFERRED TO EDUCATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO EDUCATION

Go to topS01002 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01002 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS01002 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1002

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 (Prefiled)

 January 8, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. BROUK, MURRAY, WEIK -- read twice and ordered print-
 ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to student class size in
 public schools

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3204-a
 2 to read as follows:
 3 § 3204-a. Student class size in public schools. 1. (a) All school
 4 districts located outside of a city having a population of one million
 5 or more inhabitants shall establish a plan, to be developed in collab-
 6 oration with the superintendent and the president of each collective
 7 bargaining unit representing the teachers, other classroom staff, and
 8 the building level administrative staff, and submitted to the commis-
 9 sioner for approval, to reduce actual class sizes beginning September
 10 two thousand twenty-five and to be achieved by September two thousand
 11 thirty for all classes, with the exception of physical education and
 12 performing groups, as follows:
 13 (i) kindergarten-third grade to have no more than twenty students per
 14 class;
 15 (ii) fourth-eighth grade to have no more than twenty-three students
 16 per class; and
 17 (iii) high school to have no more than twenty-five students per class.
 18 (b) Physical education and performing groups shall have no more than
 19 forty students per class at all levels. Each year of the plan, an addi-
 20 tional twenty percent of the classrooms, excluding special education
 21 classes, shall be in compliance with the class size targets provided
 22 that all school districts shall be in full compliance by the commence-
 23 ment of the two thousand thirty--two thousand thirty-one school year and
 24 all classes shall maintain the target class size.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD02169-01-5

 S. 1002 2

 1 2. The class size reduction plan shall include any exemptions to the
 2 class size targets. These exemptions shall be limited to: (i) space;
 3 (ii) over-enrolled students; (iii) staff shortages; and (iv) severe
 4 economic distress. Any such exemptions shall be approved by the super-
 5 intendent and the president of each collective bargaining unit repres-
 6 enting the teachers, other classroom staff, and the building level
 7 administrative staff as part of the class size reduction plan. Should
 8 the superintendent and the president of each collective bargaining unit
 9 representing the teachers and the principals be unable to reach agree-
 10 ment on the exemptions after thirty days, the issue shall be determined
 11 by an arbitrator. In addition, any exemption based on available space
 12 shall include a reference to the capital budget to demonstrate that the
 13 budget is aligned with resolving the exemption status. Exempted classes,
 14 for the years in which they are exempt, and special education classes
 15 shall not count toward the twenty percent target.
 16 3. The class size reduction plan shall also include the methods to be
 17 used to achieve the class size targets, such as the creation or
 18 construction of more classrooms and school buildings, the placement of
 19 more than one teacher in a classroom or methods to otherwise reduce the
 20 student to teacher ratio, but only as a temporary measure u