NYC to restore high school admissions advantage for some Manhattan students

Published May 3, 2024 at 4:45 p.m. ET

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Published May 3, 2024 at 4:45 p.m. ET

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Students in a largely affluent swath of Manhattan may soon regain special preference when applying to nearby high schools.

Schools Chancellor David Banks said on Thursday night that he was considering granting “some kind of priority” to families in District 2, which runs from the Upper East Side down to Tribeca. If enacted, that would reverse a decision by Mayor Bill de Blasio in late 2020 to undo the unique policy that gave students living in the district a head start in applying to prestigious nearby schools, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Millennium High Schools. Critics had said the priority status for District 2 students promoted segregation by giving kids in wealthier, whiter communities an advantage.

At a meeting of District 2’s Community Education Council, Banks said he had heard "for quite some time" from families who would like to see the policy restored.

“We are committed to granting District 2 some kind of priority and are looking at various models,” he said, adding that more details would be released before the next admissions cycle. High school applications are usually due in early December.

Reviving District 2 priority would be the latest in a series of steps by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration to walk back efforts to reduce selective admissions at city schools. De Blasio’s top education officials had touted those decisions as moves toward equity in a school system long considered one of the most segregated in the country.

In addition to eliminating District 2 priority, de Blasio had said he planned to end the city's set of Gifted and Talented programs “as we know it,” and to remove selective “screens” for middle schools citywide. But the Adams administration has expanded and tweaked Gifted and Talented programs, and allowed some districts to re-adopt selective admissions at middle schools.

“There were a number of decisions that were made by the prior administration around enrollment,” Banks said. “This is an issue that is a clear divide across the city. I want you to know I’m taking it very seriously.”

District 2 cuts a jagged path through Manhattan, from the Upper East Side through Midtown and down to the Financial District. The district notably excludes areas with large public housing complexes in East Harlem, Chinatown and on the Lower East Side.

New York City is unusual among school districts in that students can apply to high schools in all five boroughs. For decades, city policy granted students living in District 2 admissions priority to high schools in the district. While some schools offer priority based on borough, the District 2 advantage was unique.

“Students should never be forced to have very long commutes,” District 2 Community Education Councilmember Craig Slutzkin said at the meeting. “Our students need quality local choices.”

His fellow member Gavin Healy said he opposed restoring the District 2 priority. Healy said many of the most popular high schools now admit more Black and Hispanic students than before, and many families appreciate a “simplified” admissions process. He also expressed concern that Banks was trying to “appease a very small minority.”

Reinstating district priority is only the latest polarizing battle for the District 2 Community Education Council, where members backed by the group PLACE hold a majority of seats. PLACE, which stands for Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education, supports selective admissions.

The District 2 Community Education Council recently grabbed headlines for passing a resolution calling on the city's education department to reconsider its gender guidelines, particularly in sports. The move outraged many parents and advocates, including dissenters on the council, who said it was an effort to reduce access for transgender female athletes.

At Thursday’s meeting, Banks rejected that resolution and affirmed his support for trans students. “We see you, we love you and we are going to do everything we can to provide the levels of support that you need so that you can be all that you want to be,” he said.

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Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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