OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

NYC Council Committees on Education and Finance FY2027 Executive Budget Hearing – June 8, 2026

City Council — Monday, June 8, 2026
BodyNew York City, New York
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, June 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 6:37:41
Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

Quiet down, quiet down, please.

0:10

Good morning, and welcome to today's New York City Council hearing, executive budget hearing from the Committees on Finance jointly with the committees on higher education and the Committee on Education.

0:21

At this point, I'd like to remind everyone to please silence our electronic devices.

0:25

And at no point is anyone to approach the dais.

0:28

Chairs, we're ready to begin.

0:33

Okay.

0:34

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the ninth day of the FY27 executive budget hearings.

0:41

I'm Councilmember Linda Lee.

0:42

And today's hearing will begin with City University of New York, followed by Department of Education.

0:47

And I'm very pleased to be joined by my colleague and chair of the Committee on Higher Education, Councilmember Rita Joseph.

0:54

And we have been joined by Council Members Wong, Lewis, Morano, and Marte.

1:00

And welcome, Chancellor, Felix Metros Rodriguez and your team.

1:06

Thank you all for joining us today to answer our questions.

1:09

On May 12, 2026, the admin released the executive financial plan for FY26 to 2030 with a proposed FY27 budget of 124.7 billion.

1:20

The City University of New York's proposed FY27 budget of 1.57 billion represents 1.3% of the administration's proposed budget in the executive plan.

1:31

And this is an increase of 21.1 million dollars or 1.4% from the 1.55 billion originally budgeted in the FY27 preliminary plan.

1:41

And this increase is mainly the result of $15 million in city funding for operating support that was restored and baselined starting in FY27.

1:50

As of April 2026, CUNY's pedagogical headcount was the same as their fiscal 26 budgeted headcount, and their non-pedagogical headcount was four positions fewer than their FY26 budgeted headcount.

2:03

In the council's preliminary budget response, we called on the mayor to add and baseline a total of 22.5 million to CUNY's budget to invest in essential programs that ensure student retention, such as CUNY ACE, CUNY ASAP, and CUNY Reconnect are that they remain in place.

2:21

While we so often look at recruitment to CUNY colleges programs that encourage people to return and to stay at a higher education, returning to stay in higher education must be fund fully funded and baselined.

2:32

We were disappointed to see that these programs were not included in the plan.

2:36

And while we are happy to see the administration baseline operating support for CUNY, we urge the administration to go further.

2:43

CUNY is New York's gateway to affordable higher education, but this opportunity is only as strong as the supports that allow students to reach the finish line.

2:53

The evidence-based programs at stake have demonstrated clear, measurable impact on retention and graduation rates, and students are counting on them.

3:01

I look forward to hearing more from the Chancellor today about where that funding stands and what is needed to protect it.

3:08

And at this time, I want to now turn it over to my co-chair for this hearing, Chair Councilmember Joseph, for her opening statement.

3:16

Thank you, Chair Lee.

3:18

Good morning, everyone.

3:18

I'm Councilmember Rita Joseph, Chair of the Committee on Higher Education.

3:22

Welcome to today's hearing on City's fiscal 2027 executive budget for the City University of New York.

3:29

CUNY fiscal 2027 executive budget totals 1.57 billion, including 1.12 billion in personal service to support 4,289 pedagogical position and 1,735 non-pedagogical positions.

3:47

The university's budget includes 455 million in other personnel service spending in this executive plan.

3:54

One-time spent saving of 21.5 million was added in the fiscal 2027 from spending reductions on supplies and other materials at community colleges, of which CUNY is still determining exactly how to allocate these savings across community colleges.

4:11

Although the executive plan also includes baseline funding, 15 million to support academic advisement, mental health and wellness, career readiness and workforce preparation program.

4:22

It is disappointing that the plan did not restore any of the essential programs like CUNY Reconnect, ACE, and ASAP.

4:29

There is no doubt that these programs have proven to be effective in bringing individuals back to pursue degrees as well as providing financial and academic support to unlock higher education.

4:39

It is unacceptable that we have to fight every year for the administration to restore funding for these programs.

4:45

We are eager to hear why CUNY Reconnect, ACE, and ASAP are not funded beyond fiscal 2026, and whether CUNY has included them in their fiscal 2027 budget priorities to OMB.

4:58

As we're moving closer to adopting the fiscal 2027 budget, we must remember that many students continue to face barriers such as food and housing insecurities, childcare needs and the cost of transportation.

5:11

I said it at our preliminary budget hearing and I will emphasize it again we must invest in programs that clear pathways to increase graduation rates.

5:20

We must also find disparities that exist in programs between campuses and work to address them.

5:26

The executive capital commitment plan includes an additional 50 million in fiscal 2027 to help bring CUNY community colleges back in a state of good repair.

5:36

We are interested to learn about the university's plan to address critical capital repairs at community colleges.

5:43

It is well recorded that many CUNY buildings are in desperate need of maintenance and repair for leaking roofs non-working elevators it is my hope that CUNY prioritize capital projects to ensure equity as there are so many needed repairs across the CUNY system.

5:59

Lastly it was brought to my attention that CUNY needs to improve its internal process to respond in a timely manner to the committee's budget related follow-up questions I should say that is it unacceptable that staff has to wait over three weeks to receive CUNY's answers on budget inquiries information is key in keeping this committee informed and this timeline to respond to follow up questions must improve as we do want to remain good partners.

6:27

Before I begin I'd like to thank the finance staff Ali Stofer, Florentine Cabaret, and Caitlin O'Hagan for preparing this hearing as well as committee staff Julia Goldsmith Pinkham and Regina Paul for their support.

6:38

Finally I'd like to thank my staff including Giovanni's chief of staff Giovanni Piquant and my legislative and budget director Benjamin Atkinson's I will now turn it back over to Chair Lee.

6:49

Thank you Chair Joseph just before we begin uh another reminder as I've been saying this at all the hearings that we are going to have all of our public testimonies on one day um June 10th Wednesday this coming Wednesday starting at 9 30 so if you know folks that would like to testify for the public hearing portion please make sure that they sign up and we look forward to hearing from the public on their feedback.

7:15

So again June 10th Wednesday 9 30 a.m.

7:19

And with that I will turn it over to Brian Sarfo or committee council to swear in the witnesses good morning.

7:28

Do you affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth before this committee and to respond honestly to Councilmember questions Chancellor Matos Rodriguez.

7:37

Vice Chancellor Alberto Vice Chancellor Batista and Vice Chancellor Gardner you may begin okay thank you.

7:57

Good morning Chair Lee and Chair Joseph and the members of the City Council Committees on Finance and Higher Education and Felix Matos Rodriguez, the Chancellor of the City University of New York and I'm joined by the CUNY Dream Team of University Pro Batista and CFO Gardner.

8:15

I want to thank the City Council for your stepfast commitment to CUNY your investment sustained what has long defined this university broad access to affordable high quality education for one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and a pathway to social and economic mobility for generations of New Yorkers your support has been essential to delivering strong returns for the more than 4000 degree seeking and continual education students we serve allowing 72% of CUNY students to attend tuition free and 77% to graduate without debt I just want to give you a warning that I'm going to be reading a shorter version of the submitted testimony that you have a copy of and I assume that you'll be happy about that.

9:03

Our affordable tuition and diverse offerings and support systems have helped fuel enrollment gains.

9:10

This fall, enrollment grew nearly 4% over last fall, the third consecutive year of growth.

9:16

Since the fall of 2022, enrollment has jumped 9%, nearly 21,000 additional students.

9:25

This increase is the most is most evident in our community colleges.

9:28

Enrollment at CUNY's seven community colleges has rebounded from the pandemic, with an additional 9,500 students welcome over the last three years, and 18% increase.

9:43

Notably, during the same period, part-time enrollment surged 37% at our community colleges.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Student Support Services████████████████████████24%
Education█████████████████17%
Higher Education█████████████13%
Miscellaneous████████8%
Fiscal Sustainability████████8%
Youth Programs████4%
Procedural███3%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Racial Equity███3%
Summary of Proceedings

NYC Council Committees on Education and Finance FY2027 Executive Budget Hearing – June 8, 2026

On Monday, June 8, 2026, the New York City Council Committees on Education and Finance jointly held a day-long hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 Executive Budget, starting at 12:00 PM in Council Chambers. The hearing first addressed the City University of New York (CUNY) budget, followed by the Department of Education (DOE) budget. Councilmembers Linda Lee (Finance Chair), Eric Dinowitz (Education Chair), Rita Joseph (Higher Education Chair), and Speaker Adrienne Menon led the questioning. The hearing featured testimony from CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez and his team, and later from DOE Chancellor Kamar Samuels and his senior leadership. The hearing highlighted significant funding gaps in student success programs, concerns over procurement transparency, and the need for sustained investments in special education, mental health services, and early childhood education. Public testimony was scheduled for a separate day on June 10, 2026.

CUNY Budget Hearing (12:00 PM – approx. 1:45 PM)

Opening Statements & Budget Overview

  • Councilmember Linda Lee reported that CUNY's proposed FY27 executive budget is $1.57 billion, a 1.4% increase ($21.1 million) from the preliminary plan, mostly due to $15 million in baselined operating support. She expressed disappointment that the mayor did not baseline funding for CUNY ASAP, ACE, and Reconnect programs.
  • Councilmember Rita Joseph noted that the executive plan did not restore funding for CUNY Reconnect, ACE, or ASAP, calling it “unacceptable.” She also highlighted the need for timely responses to council budget inquiries and emphasized capital repair needs at community colleges, including leaking roofs and broken elevators.
  • Chancellor Matos Rodriguez reported that CUNY enrollment grew nearly 4% over fall 2025, with three consecutive years of growth (9% since fall 2022). He noted that 72% of CUNY students attend tuition-free and 77% graduate without debt. He highlighted initiatives like CUNY Beyond (career readiness), the expansion of ASAP/ACE programs, and the constructive dialogue partnership.

Key Discussion Topics

  • ASAP and ACE Programs: The council noted that the executive budget did not baseline the $10.1 million for ACE or provide recurring funding for ASAP. Chancellor Matos Rodriguez confirmed these programs are effective (ASAP doubles three-year associate degree completion rates) but need recurring funding for planning. The cost per student for both programs is approximately $3,440.
  • Enrollment and Tuition Adjustment: The FY27 budget includes a one-time $25 million reduction for tuition revenue reestimate due to actual enrollment patterns. CUNY reported total FTE enrollment of 179,000 (128,000 senior colleges, 51,000 community colleges) – up 4,400 from the prior year.
  • Capital Needs: The council questioned the $50 million in capital funding for community colleges (matched by state for up to $100 million). CUNY COO Batista explained prioritization based on facility assessments, but students and staff have reported mold, flooding, and broken elevators. Councilmembers pressed for more transparency on repair timelines and allocation.
  • Early Childhood Education: CUNY requested $6 million for early childhood apprenticeship programs and $2 million for a bilingual CDA program. The council noted low current enrollment (30 apprentices) and asked for performance metrics.
  • CUNY Reconnect: The $7.8 million program for adult learners was not restored in the executive budget. Over 25,000 students are currently enrolled, and 14,597 have graduated since inception.
  • OmniCard Pilot: The council urged $1.4 million for free transit for 3,100 students, citing transportation barriers. Currently, only ASAP, ACE, CHAMPS, and SEEK provide OmniCards.
  • Mental Health and Food Insecurity: CUNY requested additional funding for 14 mental health clinicians (2 per community college) and $2.5 million for food insecurity programs. The CUNY CARES model helped Bronx students enroll in SNAP, bringing in $2.96 million in benefits.
  • Federal Research Cuts: Chancellor expressed concern over cuts to pipeline programs for graduate students and research, affecting diversity and the future teaching workforce.
  • Accessibility and Adaptive Technology: CUNY reported that the CUNY Accommodate system reduced service enrollment wait times to two weeks, with a 25% increase in disability service enrollment.

Key Positions and Concerns

  • Councilmembers voiced strong support for baselining ASAP, ACE, and Reconnect, emphasizing their proven impact on retention and graduation.
  • CUNY advocated for full baselining of these programs and additional capital funding for community colleges ($100 million requested, $50 million provided in executive budget).
  • Councilmember Restler noted a 10% decline in pedagogical headcount since pre-COVID and urged hiring restoration. Chancellor acknowledged the decline but said hiring cycles take time.
  • Councilmember Brewer pressed for affordable housing at John Jay's North Hall; litigation was cited as a barrier.

Department of Education Budget Hearing (approx. 1:45 PM – 3:20 PM)

Opening Statements

  • Councilmember Linda Lee noted DOE's proposed FY27 budget is $37.9 billion, a decrease of $105.8 million (0.3%) from the preliminary plan, largely due to a $922.2 million savings plan. She expressed disappointment that the mental health continuum ($5 million) and restorative justice were not fully funded.
  • Speaker Adrienne Menon highlighted the council's contract transparency concerns, noting that DOE contract spending totals $12.9 billion and that only 10% of contracts are reportedly non-competitively bid, but council analysis suggests 40% of spending is non-competitive.
  • Councilmember Eric Dinowitz emphasized the need for accountability, especially regarding procurement violations and the need for expanded K-12 special education programs (NEST, Horizon, AIMS).
  • Chancellor Samuels reported on initiatives: 2K expansion, New York City Reads/Solves, every child known (STH support), and a $7.2 million investment. He also noted that schools will continue to be held harmless for FY27 initial budgets.

Key Discussion Topics

  • Procurement and Contracts: The council pressed for access to contract data, with Speaker Menon calling the delay in providing contracts “troubling.” DOE Deputy Chancellor Alicia Belowy explained that pulling contracts from a secure system is time-consuming. Councilmembers expressed concern about split contracts below $25,000 to avoid scrutiny. The DOE agreed to provide more data. The New Visions portal (cost $8.9 million) was identified as potentially duplicative; Chancellor Samuels said talks are ongoing to avoid disruption.
  • Restorative Justice: The executive budget did not include $6 million for restorative justice programs, which would affect approximately 250 of 960 schools currently served. Councilmember Dinowitz argued the program reduces conflict and improves academics. Chief Rampersad noted that restoration would sustain current levels; without it, services would be cut by 25%. Councilmembers urged full funding.
  • Special Education: The budget includes $67.5 million for pre-K special education expansion and $86 million for IESP support, but no expansion of K-12 programs like NEST, Horizon, or AIMS. Chancellor Samuels said 675 additional seats are planned. Council members cited high demand (e.g., 2,070 applicants for 510 AIMS seats). The DOE reported that due process cases dropped from 26,000 to under 16,000, and IESP cases from 18,000 to under 7,000. The council urged expanding these effective programs to reduce future due process costs.
  • Early Childhood Education (2K, 3K, Pre-K): The council praised the 2K expansion (2,000 seats this year, 12,000 planned next year). Deputy Chancellor Hawkins noted that 3K utilization is 85% (52,000 seats) and pre-K utilization is 80% (69,000 seats). 70% of families received their top 3K choice. Pay parity for ECE workers remains a key issue; DOE is working with the Mayor's Office of Child Care to collect data.
  • Mental Health: The mental health continuum program ($5 million) was not in the executive budget; it supports 50 high-need schools and 16 Article 31 clinics. Councilmember Lee urged restoration, noting it serves 2,330 students. Deputy Chancellor Hawkins highlighted that over 250 school-based health clinics serve 180,000 students.
  • School Safety and Personnel: The savings plan includes a reduction of 264 school safety agents. Councilmembers called for fully funding both restorative justice and safety agents. Teacher recruitment received $17 million, but pedagogical headcount is down by 2,936 compared to budgeted. Vacancy rates: 0.7% pedagogical, 16.4% non-pedagogical.
  • Class Size: The DOE received a two-year extension for class-size compliance. Chancellor Samuels outlined exemptions that qualify for differential payments (up to $8,500 for teachers in hard-to-staff or space-constrained classes). About a third of noncompliant classes are 1-3 students over the cap. Out-year savings depend on the extension.
  • Immigrant Family Services: The $4 million immigrant family engagement program was not continued in the executive budget. The council urged restoration, citing the need for language access and legal support given the current climate.
  • Capital Infrastructure: The DOE noted that only 60% of public assembly spaces (auditoriums, gyms) have air conditioning. The council requested updates on repair schedules.

Key Outcomes and Positions

  • No formal votes were taken, but the council expressed strong intent to push for restoration of mental health continuum funding, restorative justice, immigrant family services, and student success centers ($3.3 million gap).
  • Councilmembers committed to working with DOE on procurement reform and contract transparency.
  • DOE committed to providing additional data on contracts, staffing vacancies, and special education program costs.
  • The council urged the administration to baseline CUNY’s ASAP, ACE, and Reconnect programs and to expand K-12 specialized autism programs.
  • Councilmember Williams emphasized equity in school budgets, urging analysis of fair student funding and class-size funding distribution to high-need schools.
  • The hearing concluded with thanks to the panels and an announcement of public testimony on June 10, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Quiet down, quiet down, please. Good morning, and welcome to today's New York City Council hearing, executive budget hearing from the Committees on Finance jointly with the committees on higher education and the Committee on Education. At this point, I'd like to remind everyone to please silence our electronic devices. And at no point is anyone to approach the dais. Chairs, we're ready to begin. Okay. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the ninth day of the FY27 executive budget hearings. I'm Councilmember Linda Lee. And today's hearing will begin with City University of New York, followed by Department of Education. And I'm very pleased to be joined by my colleague and chair of the Committee on Higher Education, Councilmember Rita Joseph. And we have been joined by Council Members Wong, Lewis, Morano, and Marte. And welcome, Chancellor, Felix Metros Rodriguez and your team. Thank you all for joining us today to answer our questions. On May 12, 2026, the admin released the executive financial plan for FY26 to 2030 with a proposed FY27 budget of 124.7 billion. The City University of New York's proposed FY27 budget of 1.57 billion represents 1.3% of the administration's proposed budget in the executive plan. And this is an increase of 21.1 million dollars or 1.4% from the 1.55 billion originally budgeted in the FY27 preliminary plan. And this increase is mainly the result of $15 million in city funding for operating support that was restored and baselined starting in FY27. As of April 2026, CUNY's pedagogical headcount was the same as their fiscal 26 budgeted headcount, and their non-pedagogical headcount was four positions fewer than their FY26 budgeted headcount. In the council's preliminary budget response, we called on the mayor to add and baseline a total of 22.5 million to CUNY's budget to invest in essential programs that ensure student retention, such as CUNY ACE, CUNY ASAP, and CUNY Reconnect are that they remain in place. While we so often look at recruitment to CUNY colleges programs that encourage people to return and to stay at a higher education, returning to stay in higher education must be fund fully funded and baselined. We were disappointed to see that these programs were not included in the plan. And while we are happy to see the administration baseline operating support for CUNY, we urge the administration to go further. CUNY is New York's gateway to affordable higher education, but this opportunity is only as strong as the supports that allow students to reach the finish line. The evidence-based programs at stake have demonstrated clear, measurable impact on retention and graduation rates, and students are counting on them. I look forward to hearing more from the Chancellor today about where that funding stands and what is needed to protect it. And at this time, I want to now turn it over to my co-chair for this hearing, Chair Councilmember Joseph, for her opening statement. Thank you, Chair Lee. Good morning, everyone. I'm Councilmember Rita Joseph, Chair of the Committee on Higher Education. Welcome to today's hearing on City's fiscal 2027 executive budget for the City University of New York. CUNY fiscal 2027 executive budget totals 1.57 billion, including 1.12 billion in personal service to support 4,289 pedagogical position and 1,735 non-pedagogical positions. The university's budget includes 455 million in other personnel service spending in this executive plan. One-time spent saving of 21.5 million was added in the fiscal 2027 from spending reductions on supplies and other materials at community colleges, of which CUNY is still determining exactly how to allocate these savings across community colleges. Although the executive plan also includes baseline funding, 15 million to support academic advisement, mental health and wellness, career readiness and workforce preparation program. It is disappointing that the plan did not restore any of the essential programs like CUNY Reconnect, ACE, and ASAP. There is no doubt that these programs have proven to be effective in bringing individuals back to pursue degrees as well as providing financial and academic support to unlock higher education. It is unacceptable that we have to fight every year for the administration to restore funding for these programs. We are eager to hear why CUNY Reconnect, ACE, and ASAP are not funded beyond fiscal 2026, and whether CUNY has included them in their fiscal 2027 budget priorities to OMB. As we're moving closer to adopting the fiscal 2027 budget, we must remember that many students continue to face barriers such as food and housing insecurities, childcare needs and the cost of transportation. I said it at our preliminary budget hearing and I will emphasize it again we must invest in programs that clear pathways to increase graduation rates. We must also find disparities that exist in programs between campuses and work to address them. The executive capital commitment plan includes an additional 50 million in fiscal 2027 to help bring CUNY community colleges back in a state of good repair. We are interested to learn about the university's plan to address critical capital repairs at community colleges. It is well recorded that many CUNY buildings are in desperate need of maintenance and repair for leaking roofs non-working elevators it is my hope that CUNY prioritize capital projects to ensure equity as there are so many needed repairs across the CUNY system. Lastly it was brought to my attention that CUNY needs to improve its internal process to respond in a timely manner to the committee's budget related follow-up questions I should say that is it unacceptable that staff has to wait over three weeks to receive CUNY's answers on budget inquiries information is key in keeping this committee informed and this timeline to respond to follow up questions must improve as we do want to remain good partners. Before I begin I'd like to thank the finance staff Ali Stofer, Florentine Cabaret, and Caitlin O'Hagan for preparing this hearing as well as committee staff Julia Goldsmith Pinkham and Regina Paul for their support. Finally I'd like to thank my staff including Giovanni's chief of staff Giovanni Piquant and my legislative and budget director Benjamin Atkinson's I will now turn it back over to Chair Lee. Thank you Chair Joseph just before we begin uh another reminder as I've been saying this at all the hearings that we are going to have all of our public testimonies on one day um June 10th Wednesday this coming Wednesday starting at 9 30 so if you know folks that would like to testify for the public hearing portion please make sure that they sign up and we look forward to hearing from the public on their feedback. So again June 10th Wednesday 9 30 a.m. And with that I will turn it over to Brian Sarfo or committee council to swear in the witnesses good morning.

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