THOMPSON STATEMENT ON SCHOOL OVERCROWDING

View Manhattan Borough President release

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. issued the following statement at a news conference today during which Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer released an updated report regarding overcrowding in schools:

“I applaud Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer for his efforts in bringing attention to the critical issue of school overcrowding. In my city-wide analysis released this past May, my office found that the planning process for building new public schools is quite simply broken. In many neighborhoods where schools are overcrowded today or soon will be because of local residential development, no relief is planned for years to come. Yet, the costs of school overcrowding are high - larger class sizes and less individual attention for students. It is time for the Department of Education to address this serious issue and ensure that our children are not shortchanged.”

In May 2008, Thompson issued Growing Pains: Reforming Department of Education Capital Planning to Keep Pace with New York City’s Residential Construction, which can be viewed at www.comptroller.nyc.gov.

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