New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. speaks at a news conference on September 3, 2009. with Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to highlight overcrowding issues at city schools.

View Borough President Stringer’s press release

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today joined Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and other elected officials to criticize the Department of Education’s flawed methodology, which has predicted a decline in the Manhattan student population despite the addition of thousands of housing units in the borough;

“The Department of Education’s capital planning process is broken. As I found in my May 2008 report, Growing Pains, too many of our City’s neighborhoods are dealing with overcrowded schools, particularly elementary schools, with no relief in sight. Multiple studies have conclusively shown that smaller class sizes, especially in the early grades, translate into higher student achievement over time. Besides hampering our students’ opportunities for educational success, severely overcrowded schools also can cause parents to disengage from the system, or even relocate out of the city. It is time for the DOE to address this serious issue and ensure that our children are not shortchanged.”

You can view the Comptroller’s remarks at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V69RgBM5ckU

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