Superintendent reports enrollment uptick, highlights vacancies and supports for English learners

Superintendent Colin McGuire told members of Community Board 2’s Schools & Education Committee that New York City public schools in District 2 opened the year strongly and that overall enrollment is higher than at the end of last school year. “Weare really excited to have, around 2,100 teachers here in district 2, and pretty close to 22,000 kids. So far, we are up about a thousand kids, from the end of the year last year,” McGuire said.

McGuire said the district still has “about 60 vacancies across the district,” including “15 of those are teaching positions,” and that many openings are for paraprofessionals, 1:1 aides, office staff and other support roles. He identified a number of schools by name and noted enrollment differences across the district: PS 130 in Chinatown is down (McGuire said “PS 130 is currently down about 17 students”), while PS 75 (Morton), PS 341 and PS 340 showed gains (he said PS 75 was “up about 18 kids”).

The superintendent reviewed recent assessment results for specific schools, citing New York State exam percentages reported by the district: PS 3 at roughly 70% ELA and 71% math, PS 41 at about 90% ELA and 92% math, PS 340 at 85% ELA and 76% math, and PS 130 around 77% ELA and 78% math. He also said middle‑school results included a gain on Regents exams among students with disabilities, noting “we saw an increase of 17 points in regard to the percentage of students with disabilities who pass the algebra 1 regent.”

On curriculum and supports, McGuire said the district continues to implement the Wit and Wisdom curriculum and that several middle schools (including PS 75 Morton, MAT Wagner and Spruce Street) are piloting a middle‑school version with district and publisher coaching. He described literacy and intervention work for English language learners and students with disabilities: the district has stationed a literacy specialist to support foundational reading in the middle school and McGuire said PS 75 “now has 2 teachers of ELLs.” He added the district is using structured small‑group intervention and improved diagnostics to match students with programs.

McGuire discussed staffing changes at individual schools, naming Talia Berger as a new assistant principal at PS 340 and Teresa So as a new assistant principal at PS 75 Morton; he said the additional assistant principal at PS 75 was included to help expand bilingual programming and other supports. He also noted that PS 3 converted a pre‑K section to 3‑K and that demand for 3‑K seats remains higher than supply in some neighborhoods.

Committee members asked follow‑up questions about 75 Mortonand supports for newly arrived students; McGuire said some conversations about school reconfiguration and possible partnerships or program changes will need to restart, including outreach to the Salk community that began the prior spring. He described the discussions as early and said decisions will require further community input.

McGuire closed by inviting committee members to raise any implementation issues and asking principals or families to contact his office about specific problems such as cell‑phone policy implementation.