S 10615

                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
                                   10615
                             I N  S E N A T E
                               June 1, 2026
                                ___________
 Introduced  by  Sen.  LIU  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 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:
   Section  1.  Subparagraph  (i) and clauses (A) and (B) of subparagraph
 (ii) of paragraph b of subdivision 2 of section 211-d of  the  education
 law, subparagraph (i) as amended by section 2 of part A of chapter 57 of
 the  laws of 2008, clause (A) of subparagraph (ii) as amended by chapter
 86 of the laws of 2023, and clause (B) of subparagraph (ii)  as  amended
 by chapter 556 of the laws of 2022, are amended to read as follows:
   (i)  The contract shall specify the new or expanded programs for which
 additional amounts of such total foundation aid[,]  or  grant  shall  be
 used  and  shall  affirm  that such programs shall predominately benefit
 students with the greatest educational needs including, but not  limited
 to, those students with limited English proficiency, students in poverty
 and students with disabilities.
   (A)  In  a  city  school district in a city having a population of one
 million or more inhabitants such contract shall  also  include  a  plan,
 which shall be developed in collaboration with the collective bargaining
 units  representing  teachers  and the principals beginning in September
 two thousand twenty-two and signed off on  by  the  chancellor  and  the
 presidents of each bargaining unit, to reduce actual class sizes, begin-
 ning September two thousand twenty-three and to be achieved by September
 two  thousand  [twenty-eight] THIRTY for all classes, with the exception
 of physical education and performing groups, as follows: (1)  kindergar-
 ten-third  grade  to  have  no  more than twenty students per class; (2)
 fourth-eighth grade to have  no  more  than  twenty-three  students  per
 class; and (3) high school to have no more than twenty-five students per
 class.  Physical education and performing groups shall have no more than
 forty students per class at all levels.   [Each year] FOR  EACH  OF  THE
 FIRST  THREE  YEARS  of  the  plan,  an additional twenty percent of the
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16040-02-6
 S. 10615                            2
 classrooms in the city  school  district,  excluding  special  education
 classes,  shall  be  in  compliance with the class size targets, AND FOR
 EACH OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS,  AN  ADDITIONAL  TEN  PERCENT  OF  THE
 CLASSROOMS  IN  THE  CITY  SCHOOL  DISTRICT, EXCLUDING SPECIAL EDUCATION
 CLASSES, SHALL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CLASS SIZE  TARGETS  such  that
 the  city school district is in full compliance by two thousand [twenty-
 eight] THIRTY and all classes should maintain the target class size. The
 class size reduction plan shall prioritize schools  serving  populations
 with higher poverty levels.
   (B)  The class size reduction plan shall include any exemptions to the
 class size targets. These exemptions shall be limited to: (1) space; (2)
 over-enrolled students; (3)  license  area  shortages;  and  (4)  severe
 economic distress. Any such exemptions shall be approved by the chancel-
 lor  and  the presidents of the collective bargaining units representing
 the teachers and the principals as part  of  the  class  size  reduction
 plan.  Should  the  chancellor  and  the  presidents  of  the collective
 bargaining units representing the teachers and the principals be  unable
 to  reach agreement on the exemptions after thirty days, the issue shall
 be determined by an arbitrator. In  addition,  any  exemption  based  on
 available  space  shall  include  a  reference  to the capital budget to
 demonstrate that the budget is  aligned  with  resolving  the  exemption
 status.  Exempted  classes,  for the years in which they are exempt, and
 special education classes shall not count toward  the  [twenty  percent]
 APPLICABLE target PERCENTAGE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.