Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Preschool special education capacity and waiting list concerns
2:12:23
ยท
3 min
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about the current state of preschool special education capacity and waiting lists. DOE officials provide updates on the number of students waiting for placements and services.
- 651 students are currently waiting for preschool special education class placements
- 319 students on the waiting list are receiving partial services
- There has been a 20% increase in students requiring preschool special education services since FY '22
- 528 students are waiting for self-contained special classes, while 123 are waiting for integrated seats
- The DOE is working on opening additional seats to address the waiting list
Rita Joseph
2:12:23
Baseline and not have to be doing the two step every two years.
2:12:28
Early childhood special education, I noticed the budget included 55,000,000 to open new preschool special education in New York City public school, however there are still children waiting for seats.
2:12:41
Preschool special education classes they need, at our January 30 hearing on special education you testify there was 450 students, preschool students were waiting for class.
2:12:52
How many students are currently waiting for seats in preschool special education classes?
Christina Foti
2:13:00
So as of our most recent poll chair, have six fifty one students awaiting a placement.
Rita Joseph
2:13:08
Six fifty one?
Emma Vadehra
2:13:10
Yes.
Rita Joseph
2:13:11
And meanwhile they're waiting for seats, are they receiving their mandated services?
Christina Foti
2:13:18
So in terms of receipt of related services, have students that are receiving partial services are three nineteen students.
Rita Joseph
2:13:33
How many?
2:13:33
Can you repeat that?
Christina Foti
2:13:34
Three nineteen so of the students waiting for service, waiting for a placement, three nineteen of them are receiving partial service.
Rita Joseph
2:13:44
And the others?
Christina Foti
2:13:46
Are not receiving
Rita Joseph
2:13:47
No services at all.
2:13:48
Yes.
2:13:50
And why has the number been increasing to so much in the past few months?
Christina Foti
2:13:55
Well, a few reasons.
2:13:58
First of all, there's been a 20% increase of students requiring preschool special education services from FY '22.
2:14:05
We're up to 32,153 students this school year.
2:14:10
In terms of kids coming in this school year, we've been able to place, thanks to the $55,000,000 90 2 point 3 percent of them.
2:14:17
So they were all placed and share when we opened the school year, we opened on time with every student placement for special education.
2:14:28
So that 55,000,000 was a critical investment, and we thank you and Councilmember Gutierrez for being there present.
2:14:36
Two weeks you are there advocating and helping us strategize on this, so we thank you for that.
Melissa Aviles-Ramos
2:14:42
Thank you.
Rita Joseph
2:14:44
Of those students waiting for us, how many are waiting for self contained seats and how many are waiting for integrated seats?
Christina Foti
2:14:53
Yeah.
2:14:53
So five twenty eight of the students waiting for placement, are waiting for special classes.
2:15:01
123 are waiting for SCIS, integrated seats.
2:15:06
I do want to point out though, Chair, that we expect to be opening an additional 145 special class seats and an additional 24 this school year.
2:15:21
So that is going to also be helpful via that $55,000,000
Rita Joseph
2:15:24
And that'll be in September?
Christina Foti
2:15:26
No, we're opening those classrooms now because as you know, pre K enrollment rolls and we want to be able to place kids.
Rita Joseph
2:15:33
Okay, that's great.