District 16 Superintendent Brendan Mims informed the families of P.S. 25 that the New York City Department of Education is considering permanently closing the Bedford-Stuyvesant school, according to Chalkbeat.
Mims said the city’s smallest public school, with just 52 students enrolled in grades K-5, faces funding challenges tied to its declining enrollment, which limit the ability to offer extracurricular activities, including art, music and after-school programs, Chalkbeat reported.
“The ongoing challenge of declining enrollment has financially impacted the school’s ability to provide a robust learning environment for students,” Mims wrote.
The publication reported that the closure of P.S. 25 reflects a broader trend affecting New York City and districts nationwide, as schools grapple with post-pandemic enrollment declines. Since 2016, the number of city schools with fewer than 200 students has risen from 81 to 190. Running such small schools can be costly: the DOE spent $45,420 per child at P.S. 25 last year, more than double the citywide average.
Although tiny schools are expensive, they often can’t provide comprehensive support for students. Mims noted that P.S. 25 is among the lowest-performing schools in District 16, with just a third of its students achieving proficiency on state tests during the 2022-23 school year, the publication said.
Despite the financial challenges, closing P.S. 25 is likely to spark resistance. The city’s previous attempt to close the school six years ago ended in a lawsuit led by advocates who argued that such action required local council involvement due to its impact on family access to a zoned school.
District 16 Community Education Council President NeQuan McLean expressed support for the closure, citing limited resources and learning opportunities.
“It’s our responsibility to make sure they have a robust education experience, and right now, those students don’t have one,” he said, preferring a complete closure to give families freedom to choose new schools for their children.
City officials have not yet scheduled a vote on the proposed closure. If approved, P.S. 25 would close at the end of the academic year, allowing time for community engagement and relocation plans. Mims has suggested that students would be placed in higher-performing schools if the closure proceeds.
