New York, NY—Today, New York City Mayor Eric Adams along with New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced $514 million in funding for education programs for FY25 that had previously been paid for with federal stimulus funding. This includes $6 million for translation and interpretation services, $17 million for coordinators for students in temporary housing in schools and shelters, $10 million for bilingual programs and $17 million for literacy and dyslexia programs.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Every child who calls New York home deserves a quality education. Today’s announcement from the City is a step in the right direction for immigrant students, but it’s completely insufficient to meet the needs of our current moment. We are pleased to see funding for critical programs like translation and interpretation services, as well as coordinators for students in temporary housing, but the funding falls short of previous levels and must be fully restored to have its intended impact. Given the recently reported 5% drop in graduation rates for English Language Learners (ELL), the City must increase its investments to fully support all students – 40% of whom speak a language other than English at home – to set them up for success. This success is also predicated on more funding for ELL-specialized transfer schools, which serve immigrant students with interrupted formal education, and Project SOARING, which provides comprehensive development programs for schools serving ELL students. We look forward to the City building on this initial proposal, and creating the conditions and opportunities for all New York students to truly thrive in the classroom and beyond.”