Enacts the school population projection and transparency act

Summary of provisions

Section 1 amends section 1728 subdivision 13 of the public authorities law to require the New York City School Construction Authority to coordinate with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Buildings, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Office of City Planning to obtain relevant data to use in creating population projections, which will serve as the basis for the school authority's five year educational facilities capital plan.

Section 2 amends section 1731 of the public authorities law and requires that school construction authority siting plans for new or improved facilities include information on the prospective student population for the affected community school districts and community boards and the reason the proposed action is necessary and how the plan factors and accounts for student population projections. It also requires that during the public hearing held by each affected community school district education council and community board, the responsiveness of the site plan to projected changes in student population and how the plan factors and accounts for student population projections is included in said hearing.

Section 3 amends section 2590-p of the education law to require that the chancellor - when preparing the five-year capital plan - shall factor and account for the effect of data provided by the Office of city Planning, the Department of Buildings, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Section 4 amends section 2590-p of the education law to require the chancellor to include within the detailed scope of project - for each project included in the five-year capital plan - how the data provided by the Office of City Planning, the Department of Buildings, the

Department of Housing Preservation and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is factored and accounted for.

Section 5 amends section 2590-p of the education law that the board - upon submission of recommendations to the chancellor by each community school district education council regarding the five-year capital plan - shall make public (i) a summary of the issues raised (ii) a statement of the reason why any significant alternative recommendations were or were not incorporated in the final plan (iii) a description of any changes made to the proposed plan as a result of the issues raised.

Section 6 amends section 2590-p of the education law to require the board to make public submitted recommendations to the five-year capital plan, a summary of alternatives proposed, a statement of why they were not incorporated into the final plan, and a description of any changes made to the proposed plan as a result of the recommendations received.

Justification

According to a report by Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, as many as 13,000 New York City children will be without seats in public schools by 2016 despite increased capital spending by the City, This bill attempts to address this discrepancy by ensuring that the School construction Authority and the Department of Education use data available from the Office of City Planning, the Department of Buildings, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in making population projections for use in its five year capital plan, and for proposing zoning lines and creating school siting plans.

The bill also ensures greater transparency and a role for the public in planning; the Department of Education will have to make public the data used to project student populations, and address how each siting plan responds to projected population changes.

These reforms will lead to more accurate projections, better transparency in planning, and a stronger voice for the public.

Legislative history

2010: S.7033/A.11433 2012: Referred to Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately, with provisions.