Immigration crisis causing chaos, budget trouble for New York City schools

Immigrants housed in New York City will be shuffled to new shelters as required under city sanctuary rules for non-citizens, causing chaos in the public school system.

The surge of illegal aliens into New York City over three years will cost close to the city’s overall 2023 budget for K–12 schools and instruction.

“Approximately 2,700 families have received notices since Oct. 27 that they’ll either have to reapply for shelter or find alternative housing within 60 days, according to a City Hall spokesperson,” reported Chalkbeat New York. 

As a result, thousands of immigrant children could transfer to new schools. 

Adding to the chaos is a promise from Mayor Eric Adams that, despite laws, rules and regulations that prevent normal students from attending schools of their choice, Adams will make sure children of illegal immigrants can continue to attend their current school. 

“We’re not going to have those children change schools,” Adams told a reporter two weeks ago when asked about the sanctuary rules. “We want to stabilize their education and so we’re not going to have those children change schools.” 

And while Federal law apparently allows the families to stay in their current school, logistical barriers make it practically impossible. 

Chalkbeat reports the city offers busing to kids up to 6th grade and subway cards for older kids, but applying to the system “can take a long time, and the city’s sprawling school bus system is notoriously unreliable, according to advocates and educators.”  

As of mid-October, over 130,600 illegal aliens have arrived in New York City since spring 2022, causing a crisis for the city’s shelter system, schools and budget, noted the New York Times. 

The arrivals have been fueled by a revolt over illegal immigration by states such as Texas and Florida, which have transported illegal immigrants to liberal cities such as New York and Chicago. 

Some 30,000 students have been added to the New York City school system as a result of the surge of illegal immigration, said CNN.  

Adams estimated that the crisis will cost the city at least $12 billion over three years if the illegal aliens continue to arrive in the same numbers as they have the previous three years.  

The entire city education budget is $38 billion annually, including $15.1 billion for K–12 schools in 2023. 

The city is also dealing with chronic absenteeism amongst students housed in the city’s shelters. 

In the 2021-2022 school year, chronic absenteeism was at 72% for kids housed in city-funded shelters, said the New York Daily News. 

“It already took months to get some of these kids applied and enrolled, or to get their transportation squared away,” Liza Schwartzwald, director of family advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition told the Daily News. “If they’re now shifting people around, that completely complicates the situation. There’s no way some students don’t fall through the cracks.” 

New York State law requires that children between the ages of 5 and 21 receive a free public school education, regardless of immigration status. That includes the right to free breakfast and lunch for all NYC public school students during the school year.  

In addition, NYC also offers free afterschool meals.