What's happening
This bill imposes a two-year moratorium on school closings in New York City and creates a committee to review school closure impacts.
Why it matters
Temporarily halting school closures in NYC gives communities, students, and staff more stability and predictability. , potentially reducing disruption to education and neighborhood cohesion during the two-year period.
Limits on emergency school closures ensure they are only used when absolutely necessary for health, safety, or welfare. , preventing misuse of emergency powers to bypass the moratorium.
Establishing a review committee signals a move toward evidence-based policymaking. by requiring experts to analyze the impacts of past school closures, including effects on student achievement, before future closures are considered.
Findings from the committee must be reported to legislative leaders by September 2019. , potentially shaping future education policy and reforms concerning low-performing schools and closure practices.
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Pause Big City School Closures
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Pause NYC School Closures
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Walter T. Mosley
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1555
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to imposing a moratorium on the initiation of school closings in cities with a population of one million or more
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (f) of subdivision 2-a of section 2590-h of the education law, as added by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, are amended to read as follows:
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, prepare an educational impact statement regarding any proposed school closing or significant change in school utilization, including the phase-out, grade reconfiguration, re-siting, or co-location of schools, for any public school located within the city district; provided however that the chancellor shall not be authorized to prepare or file an educational impact statement for any proposed school closing, school phase-out, grade reconfiguration, re-siting or co-location of schools that would take effect during the two thousand eighteen--two thousand nineteen school year or the two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty school year.
(f) In the event that the chancellor determines that a school closing or significant change in school utilization is immediately necessary for the preservation of student health, safety or general welfare, the chancellor may temporarily close a public school or adopt a significant change in the school's utilization on an emergency basis. Such emergency school closing or significant change in school utilization shall only remain in effect for six months, during such time the chancellor shall comply with the requirements of this subdivision in order for such school closure or significant change in school utilization to extend beyond the six month period; provided that any emergency school closing occurring during the two thousand eighteen--two thousand nineteen school
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00593-01-7
S. 1555 2
year or the two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty school year shall only remain in effect during such time as absolutely necessary in order to preserve student health, safety or general welfare.
§ 2. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 1 of section 2590-g of the education law, as added by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
(h) approve proposals for all school closures or significant changes in school utilization including the phase-out, grade reconfiguration, re-siting, or co-location of schools, following any hearing pursuant to subdivision two-a of section twenty-five hundred ninety-h of this article; provided that the city board shall not approve any proposal for a school closing, school phase-out, or grade reconfiguration that would take effect during the two thousand eighteen--two thousand nineteen school year or the two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty school year.
§ 3. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 56 to read as follows:
56. The commissioner shall establish a school closure evaluation and review committee, which shall review the impacts relating to the number of low-performing schools that have been closed in the city school district located in a city of one million or more inhabitants including, but not limited to, the impact to student educational experience and achievement, and shall also consider whether alternative policies would have a more positive impact on student achievement. The committee shall include, but not be limited to, academicians who study educational outcomes, psychometricians and education policy experts. The commissioner shall report the committee's findings to the chairs of the senate and assembly education committees and the chair of the senate finance committee and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee no later than September thirtieth, two thousand nineteen.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amendments to sections 2590-h and 2590-g of the education law made by sections one and two of this act shall not affect the expiration of such sections and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to imposing a moratorium on the initiation of school closings in cities with a population of one million or more
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to establish a moratorium on the initiation of any proposed school closing or significant change in school utilization.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends paragraphs (a) and (f) of subdivision 2-a of § 2590-h of the education law, as amended by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009 by adding clauses stating that (a) the chancellor shall not be authorized to prepare or file and education impact statement for any proposed school closing, school phase-out, grade reconfiguration, re-siting or co-location of schools that would take effect during the two thousand eighteen--two thousand nineteen school year or the two thousand nineteen-two thousand twenty school year and that (f) any emergency school closing occurring during the two thousand eighteen-two thousand nineteen school year or two thousand nineteen-two thousand twenty school year shall only remain in effect during such time as absolutely necessary in order to preserve student health, safety or general welfare.
Section 2 of the bill amends paragraph (h) of subdivision 1 of § 2590-g of the education law, as amended by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, by adding a clause to state that the city board shall not approve any proposal for a school closing, school phase-out, grade reconfiguration, re-siting or co-location that would take effect during the two thousand eighteen-two thousand nineteen school year or the two thousand nineteen-two thousand twenty school year.
Section 3 of the bill would create a School Closure Evaluation and Review Committee.
Section 4 of the bill sets forth and immediate effective date provided that the amendments made to sections 2590-h and 2590-g of the education law shall not affect the expiration of such sections pursuant to chapter 91 of the laws of 2002 and shall expire and be deemed repealed there-with.
Justification
During the last three years, there has been an explosion of school closures in New York City. However, it is not clear that the academic performance of the students who are adversely impacted or dispersed by a school closure have measurably improved. Similarly, there is limited evidence that replacement schools perform any better than those that have been closed.
In the view of many education professionals, efforts to enhance student performance requires comprehensive academic intervention and not simply a shut-down strategy most commonly found in the consumer retail market.
A one-year moratorium will provide the legislature and the State Education Department with the time to evaluate the effectiveness of the aggressive school closure practices of the NYC Department of Education, and determine the best course of action to meet the educational needs of public school students.
Prior legislative history
2015-16: S.713 2013-14: S.669-A 2011-12: S.4465-A/A.6158-B (Jeffries)
Fiscal implications for state & local governments
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately provided that the amendments made to sections 2590-h and 2590-g of the education law made by sections one and two of this act shall not affect the expiration of such sections and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.