In a week that is usually marked with celebratory “stepping-up” ceremonies and the excitement of summer break approaching, many principals at New York City’s public schools have also begun to announce painful staffing decisions after Mayor Eric Adams enacted cuts to many local school budgets for next year.
Teachers across the city have been notified they are being “excessed,” or are at risk of being excessed, after principals received their preliminary budgets in early June. Excessed teachers will lose their positions at their current schools but remain on the education department’s payroll and enter a pool of potential hires for schools seeking staff.
Parents have been organizing to alert families to the cuts, which are tied to declining enrollment. The Department of Education said some additional funding will be available for schools later in the coming months. The City Council’s education committee will hold a hearing on school budgets on Friday.
