New York, NY — On July 14, 2026, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced a major expansion of pre-school special education. The press conference was conducted at PS 5 Ellen Lurie school at 3703 10th Ave. in Manhattan.
Supported by a $67.5 million investment in the Fiscal Year 2027 Executive Budget, the expansion will make these specialized programs available in 14 school districts across all five boroughs beginning this fall, giving young children with disabilities access to high-quality instruction in their own communities.
“Children with disabilities should not be forced to travel across the city just to get the education they deserve,” said Mayor Mamdani. “That’s why we’re bringing those classrooms closer to home and taking another critical step toward making Pre-K truly universal.”
“For the first time, we’re giving young children with autism and other disabilities the same high-quality, specialized instruction that has delivered real results for our older students, said Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.”
NYCPS will hire hundreds of new staff members to reduce evaluation wait times, expand bilingual assessment options and help families navigate the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The investment includes 35 new professionals across 10 additional Preschool Regional Assessment Centers (PRACs), including psychologists, social workers, speech evaluators and occupational therapists.
Building on a successful pilot, the Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) program will also expand, placing special education teachers in general education preschool classrooms and helping more young children with IEPs learn alongside their peers. An additional 29 therapists and specialists will strengthen services for children attending community-based 3-K and Pre-K programs.
