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Q&A
Definition and implications of 'oversaturation' in school districts
3:03:27
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96 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph seeks clarification on the concept of 'oversaturation' in school districts and its implications for ECE sites. Jeff Klein from the DOE explains:
- Oversaturation occurs when there are too many seats of a particular type in a neighborhood that children are not eligible for
- This leads to unhealthy competition between programs and vacant seats that the city must subsidize
- Oversaturation can result in programs being unable to maximize enrollment and revenue
- The situation creates financial unsustainability for both the programs and the city.
- Changes in community demographics, such as gentrification, can affect eligibility for income-restricted seats.
- The DOE is considering these factors in upcoming re-solicitations for birth-to-five contracts to make them more responsive to changing community needs.
Rita Joseph
3:03:27
Oh, don't have to tell me twice.
3:03:28
I'm always on somebody's always on speed dialed.
3:03:31
For example, one of the things the reasons they gave for renewing the lease was the sites were over saturation in school districts and zip codes, but when we met when we had that hearing, all five sites had extended day seats which is limited in our system and we know those are needed for parents to go to work, which were limited and one site was said only had four toddlers in sight.
3:03:55
Can you define over saturation and what does it mean for New York City publics to determine if a school district is oversaturated?
3:04:02
What does that look like?
Jeff Klein
3:04:03
Sure, so just to clarify, this goes to the point I was making to Councilmember Ressler, right?
3:04:08
EDY seats are eligibility required seats, I'm sorry, income restricted seats.
3:04:15
And so as the community around that particular site with the four children changed, was less children in that community were eligible for those seats.
3:04:27
So that is part of why they were under enrolled.
3:04:30
Oversaturation is where there are too many of a particular seat type in a neighborhood which children in that neighborhood are not eligible for and it leads to unhealthy competition, us having to subsidize programs for their vacant seats.
3:04:45
And so all around, right, it's not good for the program, they can't maximize enrollment and therefore maximize their revenue.
3:04:51
They're in an unhealthy competition with their neighbors because nobody can fill their seats and the city has to subsidize these programs, putting us in a financially unsustainable state.