The New York Department of Education plans to close its smallest school, P.S. 25 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, which has previously faced closure attempts.
Currently, this school serves only 52 elementary students and is an extreme example of a growing citywide and national trend of decline in enrollment following the pandemic.
In a recent letter to families, District 16 Superintendent Brendan Mims stated that limited resources compromise the quality of education offered, as funding is tied to enrollment numbers.
According to data from the Department, operating very small schools like P.S. 25 is costly, with over $45,000 spent per student–more than twice the city’s average.
Despite these subsidies, the school is unable to offer a full program of arts and music and has minimal funds for after-school activities. Mims also highlighted that these classes are among the lowest-performing in the district, with only a third of students scoring as proficient in last year’s state reading and math tests.
This situation reflects a broader trend: the number of schools in New York City with fewer than 200 students rose from 81 in 2016 to 190 in 2023 https://www.
The potential closure of P.S. 25 has not been well received by the community. Some parents argue that the school needs more support, not a complete shutdown.
Leonie Haimson, director of the advocacy group Class Size Matters, also voiced concerns, calling for greater transparency about the students’ future, 87% of whom are Black or Latino. According to Haimson, it is essential for families to have access to quality schools near their homes, in line with state requirements promoting smaller class sizes.
In the meantime, the city will aim to provide parents with information and support, according to Department of Education spokesperson Jenna Lyle. If approved, the school’s closure would take place at the end of the academic year, closing a long chapter of P.S. 25’s efforts to survive in an evolving educational landscape.
