NYC Schools' Class Size Reduction Plan Likely Delayed 2 Years

State senator cites challenges for city to meet original deadline.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 10:21pm

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An abstract, impressionistic scene of a blurred classroom setting, with students' figures barely visible through layers of soft, hazy light, conceptually representing the difficulties in implementing education policy reforms.The city's struggle to reduce class sizes in public schools reflects the complex challenges facing urban education systems.NYC Today

New York City's plan to reduce public school class sizes will likely be pushed back by two years, according to State Sen. John Liu, the head of the Senate Committee on City Education. Liu cited the city's inability to build enough new schools and hire enough teachers to meet the original deadline.

Why it matters

Reducing class sizes has long been a priority for many parents and educators, who believe smaller classes lead to better student outcomes. However, the logistical and financial challenges of implementing this policy have proven difficult for the city to overcome within the original timeline.

The details

Liu said the Adams administration failed to make sufficient progress on class size reduction during the previous mayoral term, and the city is now not ready to guarantee that 80% of classes have no more than 20-25 students by next fall as required by law. He said the city needs two more years to build new schools and hire more teachers to meet the goals.

  • The original deadline for the class size reduction plan was next fall (2026).
  • Liu said the deadline should be extended for two more years, to 2028.

The players

John Liu

State senator and head of the Senate Committee on City Education.

Zohran Mamdani

The current mayor of New York City, who campaigned on the class size reduction issue.

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What they’re saying

“I wish the previous administration had gotten us to the goals much quicker, but unfortunately ... they kept complaining about the law instead of doing something about it.”

— John Liu, State Senator

“It's not rocket science.”

— John Liu, State Senator

What’s next

According to Liu, it's unlikely the state legislature will grant Mayor Mamdani a full four-year extension on the class size reduction deadline, as that would be "too long for an unproven administration."

The takeaway

This delay in class size reduction highlights the ongoing challenges facing New York City's public school system, as officials struggle to balance educational priorities with practical constraints around funding, facilities, and staffing. The new mayor's plans for reform will face close scrutiny in the coming years.