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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ira Yankwitt, Executive Director of Literacy Assistance Center, on Adult Literacy Funding
4:52:38
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140 sec
Ira Yankwitt, Executive Director of the Literacy Assistance Center, testified about the critical need for increased funding for adult literacy programs in New York City. He highlighted the massive gap between the number of adults needing literacy services and the current capacity of programs, as well as recent budget cuts that have further reduced available services.
- Over 2.2 million adults in NYC need literacy services, but less than 3% can access them due to limited funding.
- The Adams administration cut funding for community-based adult literacy programs from $17 million to $12 million in FY '25, maintained in the FY '26 preliminary budget.
- NICAL (New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy) is calling for doubling baseline funding from $12 million to $24 million, and maintaining the council's discretionary funding of $16.5 million.
Ira Yankwitt
4:52:38
Good afternoon chair Albilise and staff of the committee.
4:52:41
My name is Ira Yanquit and I am the executive director of the Literacy Assistance Center and a proud member of the New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy.
4:52:49
As you know, there are currently over 2,200,000 adults in New York City with limited English language proficiency or who do not have a high school diploma.
4:52:58
Yet combined city and state funding for adult literacy education is so limited that fewer than 3% of these New Yorkers are able to access ESOL, adult basic education or GED glasses in any given year.
4:53:10
Moreover, while the need for adult education classes has only grown over the past two years, in FY '25 the Adams administration inexplicably cut funding for community based adult literacy programs funded through multi year contracts with DYCD from $17,000,000 to $12,000,000 This reduction in funding has been maintained in the mayor's preliminary budget for FY '26.
4:53:31
The overwhelming majority of the 2,200,000 New Yorkers in need of adult literacy classes are poor and working class immigrants, women and people of color.
4:53:39
And there is a great risk that the Trump administration will cut, eliminate or place restrictions on the federal funding stream that currently provides approximately $24,600,000 a year in ESOL, ABE and GED funding in New York City.
4:53:53
The loss of this funding would eliminate seats for well over 20,000 students.
4:53:57
According to the preliminary mayor's management report, there were over 18,000 adults served in DYC funded adult literacy programs in FY '24, yet the $12,000,000 for FY '25 and the proposed $12,000,000 in funding for FY '26 is slated to serve only 9,118 students, just half the number of those served in FY '24.
4:54:17
Fortunately, this year the council restored the administration's cuts to services through its discretionary funding, but discretionary funding is never guaranteed and it shouldn't be incumbent upon the council to subsidize the administration and cover for its failure to invest in core community needs.
4:54:32
NICAL calls on the administration to double its baseline funding for adult literacy programs through DYCD from $12,000,000 to $24,000,000 In addition, on behalf of all the students in the council's adult literacy pilot and adult literacy initiative funding is currently serving, NICAL wishes to express our deepest gratitude and we ask the council to maintain this funding at its current level of $16,500,000 in FY twenty six.
4:54:56
Thank you for your attention.