Mamdani Says He Can’t Pay For School Improvements, But Spends Billions On Migrants

When Zohran Mamdani served in the New York State Assembly, he voted for a plan to hire more teachers and build more classrooms in New York City to keep class sizes small.

As mayor, Mamdani has other priorities.

Mamdani’s 2027 budget, which he unveiled last week, includes $122 million for new teachers and $1.5 billion for classroom construction. That may seem like a sizable investment — but according to New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, this budget puts the city more than $13.01 billion behind its goal to keep class sizes small.

If Mamdani wanted to find the money, he could re-evaluate the $4.3 billion the city spends on its migrant population. New York’s sanctuary city status proved so costly that Mamdani’s predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams, warned the Biden administration that unless it got the southern border under control, New York would have to cut back on social services for migrants.

Mamdani, who signed an executive order reaffirming New York’s sanctuary city status shortly after taking office, plans to pursue “a new path of defiance through compassion” where New York cares for everyone regardless of whether they pay taxes or not.

During his budget unveiling, Mamdani said he “refuses to kick structural challenges down the road for someone else to solve later.” For that reason, Mamdani has declared an “extension” for the class size plan — an extension that does not appear to have an end date. In the meantime, Mamdani is framing his refusal to deliver on the education improvement plan he himself voted for as a good thing for students.

“Our administration believes deeply in the state law capping class sizes and I am proud to have voted for this mandate during my time in the state assembly,” he said. “This extension will generate approximately $500 million in savings in the upcoming fiscal year, but more importantly it will allow us to implement an achievable plan that better serves our students and our teachers.”

New York City Council Member Vickie Palladino disagrees.

“Smaller class sizes mean more classrooms and more teachers, which he doesn’t have the money to do,” Palladino told The Daily Wire. Mamdani is “operating a budget by bailout,” she added, “hoping that down in the road, in 2028, he’ll get a Democratic president to give us a $10 billion, $20 billion, or maybe more. But by that time, the middle class will be gone.”

New York public schools are already suffering. The State Education Department’s annual report shows that only 22% of fourth graders were proficient in reading and only 29% in math.

A report from the comptroller’s office also showed that bullying and drug-related incidents have increased this year. New York also changed how it collects data, now only reporting assaults or possession of weapons if the school refers the student to the police, the act would count as a felony, and the offender is at least ten years old.

The extension isn’t Mamdani’s only proposed public education shakeup. The mayor is planning to phase out New York City’s gifted student program over concerns that some children might be receiving a better education than others.

“I will return to the previous policy,” Mamdani said, referencing former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to end the gifted program. “Ultimately, my administration would aim to make sure that every child receives a high-quality early education that nurtures their curiosity and learning.”