Some NYC schools spending massive amounts on per-pupil budgets — but show dismal results

Some New York City public schools spend up to three times as much per student than the citywide average — but show dismal results, The Post has found.

The average per-pupil budget at NYC public schools was $21,112 in fiscal year 2023-24, according to new reports posted by the city Department of Education, but dozens spend much more — up to $60,000-plus — while producing math and reading scores well below the citywide average, records show.

This year, after Chancellor David Banks ordered many schools to adopt a new phonics-based curriculum, the citywide proficiency rate in reading for NYC students in grades 3-8 fell from 51.7% last year to 49.1%, according to preliminary results released this week. Math proficiency inched up 3.5 percentage points from last year to 53%.

The final results to come out this fall may differ because the preliminary data don’t include kids learning to speak English – their scores are still being “verified,” documents show.

But many of the lowest-scoring schools enroll fewer than 100 children with per-pupil spending on par with a pricey private education, records show..

“It’s really scary that students are performing so poorly with all that money being spent,” a DOE administrator who reviewed the data told The Post. “I’m shocked that district superintendents haven’t stepped in to question what’s going on.”

Each school has a budget that primarily covers its own salaries, benefits and supplies – not “central services” like food, maintenance, safety personnel and transportation. Those DOE services tack on an additional $13,098 per student on average, and are expected to bring total spending to $39,304 per pupil in 2025.

Among the eye-popping school budgets:

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The School of Earth Exploration and Discovery, known as SEED, spent $53,181 for each of its 95 students, according to its “School Budget at a Glance.”

Just 7% of those students scored 3 to 4.5, proficient and above, on the math exams and 23% passed in reading.

The Harlem school’s $3.29 million budget covers 14 subject teachers — nine general-ed and five special-ed — a ratio of 6.7 students for each teacher. The school also employs an attendance teacher, two therapists (speech and occupational), a guidance counselor and a social worker.

A group of students who spoke to The Post before the school year ended reacted with shock and laughter to learn of the $53,191 per-pupil funding.

“It’s surprising because how our school looks, it looks like we’re getting $13 per kid, maybe even $2,” said Thandie, a 7th grader.

“They’re rich but they act like they’re broke,” agreed classmate Omari.

“They don’t even want to give us pencils half the time,” said Ricardo Orta, 12, a fellow 7th grader.

The New Design Middle School in West Harlem budgets a steep $63,007 for each of 84 students enrolled last school year.

An extraordinary 59% of the students had special-ed plans — nearly three times the citywide average of 21%.

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“Students with special needs are concentrated in these schools where high poverty is already a concern,” said Donalda Chumney, former Manhattan District 2 superintendent and now a parent on Community Education Council 15 in Brooklyn.

“It’s a costly model that robs children of a thriving community, a robust academic program, and diverse peers.”

The school’s $3.37 million budget lists 21 teachers, three therapists, a guidance counselor, a social worker and nine aides, with three assigned to “crisis management.”

Yet, academic results fall well below average. On state exams, 13% of the kids met state standards in math and 21% in reading.

Enrollment at the Eubie Blake School in Bedford-Stuyvesant shrunk to a rock-bottom 55 last year.

Advocates for families successfully sued the DOE in 2018 to block efforts to close the tiny school, which officials had deemed no longer viable.

It received $45,420 per student this year, more than twice the citywide sum. Only 15% of students had learning disabilities, fewer than average.

The school’s $1.75 million budget lists nine teachers — a ratio of six students per teacher — plus a social worker and a crisis management aide.

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“It doesn’t seem like the school receives that much money,” said Aaliyha, 15, who graduated four years ago and whose younger sister attends. “They don’t always have a lot of money for events, but they try to make sure it’s fun.”

Only three 5th graders took this year’s state reading and math results, so the state withheld the results under federal student privacy law. Of the seven 3rd-graders and nine 4th graders who took the ELA exams, three kids in each grade were proficient. Six out of the nine 3rd-graders and eight of 11 4th-graders passed the math exam.

Mayor Adams and the City Council have agreed to “hold harmless” schools with enrollment declines — meaning none will start in the fall with less than their initial budgets last year.

The watchdog Citizens Budget Commission issued a report in July recommending against that policy.

“When you choose to hold schools harmless, especially when decreases in enrollment vary so dramatically, you create more inequity,” said Ana Champeny, the CBC’s vice president for research. “Now schools that are losing enrollment are going to have significantly more resources per student.”

Pouring money into those schools should yield better academic results, she added.

“The challenge is how to use the dollars more effectively and make sure that we’re actually getting good outcomes for our kids. This is so critical to the city’s future.”

The DOE should combine schools with low enrollments to adjust the budgets, said David Bloomfield, an education professor at Brooklyn College and CUNY Grad Center.

“But those are politically challenging moves that the mayor wants to avoid,” he said.

DOE spokesman Nathaniel Styer would not comment on the inefficiencies or the disappointing academic results.

“New York City Public Schools is proud to fund our schools in an equitable manner, based on the needs of our students, and to drive additional dollars to our highest need schools and students,” Styer said. “We will continue to invest in our schools to ensure we serve every child no matter who they are.”

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