Reduced But Too High
Hevesi Chides City Over Class Size

By HOWARD MEGDAL

State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi has scolded the Bloomberg administration for failing to comply with a 1997 state law requiring class size in kindergarten through third grade to be 20 students or fewer, while spending much of the nearly $500 million in state funding for that purpose on other initiatives.

ALAN G. HEVESI: City not making cut.

The city's average class size in K-3 dropped from 24.9 in the 1998-99 school year to 21.3 in 2004-2005, though that progress was aided by a drop in enrollment figures, according to an audit by Mr. Hevesi's staff.

'Very Disappointing'

"At a time when lower enrollment in the lower grades should have made it easier to cut class size, it's very disappointing that the city did not achieve the goal," Mr. Hevesi said in a statement.

The report praised the city for making progress, but noted that the city had been "reducing its own support for early-grade class size reduction and using it for other purposes."

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten blasted the Department of Education for the redirection of funds.

"Common sense, backed by research, tells us that small classes matter - not just in the earliest grades, but in all grades," Ms. Weingarten said in a March 16 statement. "It's amazing that despite an audit from the same State Comptroller's Office three years ago that found virtually the same thing, the DOE still chooses to use money earmarked for lowering class size for other purposes. Class size reduction is the number one issue for parents and teachers. Why isn't it just as important to the DOE?"

DOE: More Aid Needed

The DOE declined to comment on the specifics, but emphasized the positive aspects of Mr. Hevesi's report, along with the need for additional state aid.

"As the Comptroller correctly recognizes, we have made 'important progress' on lowering class size in grades K-3," DOE spokeswoman Kelly Devers said in a March 21 statement. "We made that progress by investing city funds to supplement state funds even though that was not required under the law." But more state funds were needed to build new classrooms to help further reduce class sizes, she added.

Mr. Hevesi noted that a lack of space was a hindrance in meeting the class-size goal, a problem exacerbated by the Mayor cutting $1.8 billion in school construction from the city budget last month, saying that it needed additional help from the state.

Ms. Weingarten reiterated the need for added state funding.

'Need Collaboration'

"The state and city must overcome their differences in budget negotiations and address at least one area that has impeded the lowering of class sizes - the availability of space," she said. "We need that $1.8 billion in capital funding to build more schools and create more classrooms, especially for those neighborhoods where parents and students continue to suffer from school overcrowding."

The Mayor put forward his school construction plan in November 2003, asking the state to pay half of the estimated $13.1 billion tab, with additional funds provided under the existing aid formula bringing the state's total to nearly $10 billion.

There has been speculation about a deal between the Mayor and State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno for the state to provide the city with as much as $200 million to cover the cost of issuing construction bonds to cover the $1.8 billion.