Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change.
Summary
S00079 would amend New York education law governing school closures and significant changes in school utilization in New York City. The bill expands the required educational impact statement for a proposed closure or major change to include more detailed information about affected schools, including nearby schools’ enrollment, utilization rates, and the number and percentage of special education students that could be displaced.
The core policy change is that a school closure or significant utilization change could not take effect until every special education student in the affected school has been assigned to a new school within New York City, and the chancellor has verified that each receiving school can accommodate those students. The bill also preserves the existing requirement that such actions be approved by the city board and delayed until the school year in which approval was granted has ended.
Impact
This bill would amend section 2590-h of the Education Law, which governs New York City school closing and utilization procedures, by adding special education-specific placement protections and expanding disclosure requirements in the educational impact statement. It would impose an additional procedural condition before a closure or significant change can be implemented: all special education pupils must be reassigned and the receiving schools must be confirmed as able to serve them. The measure would primarily affect the New York City Department of Education, the chancellor, the city board, affected schools, and families of students receiving special education services.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill. It passed the Senate New York City Education Committee unanimously, 6-0, and later passed the full Senate unanimously, 57-0. No committee transcript was provided, but the unanimous votes indicate broad agreement with the bill’s goal of protecting students with disabilities during school closures or major program changes.
Contention
No direct opposition is reflected in the available materials, and the unanimous committee and floor votes suggest limited visible contention. The main policy issue implicit in the bill is whether school closures or significant changes should be delayed until special education students are fully placed and receiving schools are verified as capable of serving them. Any concern would likely center on administrative burden, timing of closures, and the capacity of receiving schools, but the record provided does not show specific objections from legislators or stakeholders.
Same As
Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change.
Same As
Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change
Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change.
Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change.
Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change.
Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change.