Contracts for Excellence

The NYC Department of Education receives some of its annual budget from the NY State Foundation Aid program. Every year, the State allows some of the additional aid to be used for growth in general operating costs and investment in ongoing programs. However, some of the funding must be used according to the State’s “Contracts for Excellence” law. New York City schools received Contracts for Excellence (C4E) funds for the first time in the 2007–2008 school year. These funds under State law must be given to certain schools and must be spent by those schools in specific program areas.

To see all the Contract for Excellence information, including from past year, on the Info Hub.

How it Works

  1. Funds must support specific programs areas. C4E dollars must be spent to support new programs and activities or to expand existing programs and activities in the following six program areas:
    • Class-size reduction
    • Time on task
    • Teacher and principal quality initiatives
    • Middle school and high school restructuring
    • Full-day pre-Kindergarten and
    • Model programs for English Language Learners (New in 2008-09).
  2. Funds must go to students with the greatest need. C4E funds must be used to improve the performance of students with the greatest educational need, including:
    • English Language Learners (ELLs)
    • Students with disabilities
    • Students in poverty and
    • Students performing below State learning standards or students who are at risk of not graduating.
    • Funds must supplement, not supplant. Funding is intended to provide additional educational resources.

Contract for Excellence 2025-2026 Annual Hearings

State law requires DOE to submit a contract for excellence for the 2025-2026 school year. The contract for excellence provides information on how certain State aid will be used for designated activities that are designed to improve student achievement, with a focus on students with the greatest educational need.

The contract for excellence must be developed through a public process, which must include a public hearing held within each New York City county. In addition, public meetings must be held in each community district related to district-specific contracts.

Under amendments to State law made in 2022, 2023, and 2024, DOE’s contract for excellence must also include a plan to reduce class sizes, beginning in September 2023. DOE must submit the draft contract to the State for preliminary review within two weeks following the completion of the public process, after analyzing public comments received about the proposed plan.

Borough Hearing Schedule

Hearings will be online via ZOOM.

Register for each event here.

The virtual meeting room will be open one hour before the start of the meeting to allow members of the public to sign up for public comment.

Scheduled Start Time is 6:00pm.

Comments may be submitted at the hearings or by sending e-mails to ContractsForExcellence@schools.nyc.gov. The deadline for submitting public comment is July 8, 2025.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 Bronx
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Manhattan
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Staten Island
Thursday, June 12, 2025 Queens
Monday, June 16, 2025 Brooklyn

 

Community Education Council (CEC) hearings that present the district-specific C4E information will be held during June. CECs must hold their meetings between June 4, 2025 and July 7, 2025.

Comments may be submitted at the hearings or by sending e-mails to ContractsForExcellence@schools.nyc.gov. The deadline for submitting public comment is July 8, 2025.

  • District 1: June 11, 2025, 6:15pm, PS 20 Anna Silver Auditorium, 166 Essex Street, New York, NY 10002
  • District 2: June 18, 2025, 6:30pm, PS 33 Chelsea Prep, 281 9th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
  • District 3: June 10, 2025, 6:30pm, Joan of Arc building, 154 W 93rd Street
  • District 4 : June 11, 2025, 6:00pm, Patrick Henry prep PS 171, 19 East 103rd Street, New York, NY 10029/Zoom Meeting here: https://zoom.us/j/9420630130?pwd=Q3VtYkxicXlZaWI2VFhMM1REUld3dz09&from=addon, Meeting ID: 942 063 0130, Passcode: 123456
  • District 5: June 18, 2025, 6:30pm, PS 36, 123 Morningside Drive, Room 228, New York, NY 10027
  • District 6: TBD
  • District 7: July 1, 2025, 6:30pm, 501 Courtland Avenue, Bronx, NY 10451
  • District 8: TBD
  • District 9: June 17, 2025, 5:30pm, PS/MS 004, 1701 Fulton Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457
  • District 10: June 17, 2025 6:30pm, 1 Fordham Plaza Room 838, Bronx, NY 10458
  • District 11: June 17, 2025, 6:00pm, PS 121 Throop Auditorium, 2750 Throop Ave, Bronx, NY 10457
  • District 12: June 4, 2025, 6:30pm, The Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership, 2055 Mapes Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10460
  • District 13: June 17, 2025, 7:00pm, P.S. 93, 31 New York Ave, Brooklyn NY 11216 Meeting here: https://nycdoe.zoom.us/j/95886310686?pwd=0TODB5y9V5yZedTDqbRj7bMYMLboK4.1, Meeting ID: 958 8631 0686, Passcode: 028554
  • District 14: June 12, 2025, 6:00pm, IS 71, 266 Rutledge Street, Brooklyn NY 11206
  • District 15: June 10, 2025, 6:30pm, PS 896, 736 48th Street and 131 Livingston Street, Room 302
  • District 16: TBD
  • District 17: June 17, 2025, 6:30pm, MS 722 New Heights MS, 790 East New York Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203. Zoom: https://nycdoe.zoom.us/meeting/tJwsdO-qrT0vHda_CN2G1DNjBtlKqwWc7lSF/ics?icsToken=DJl035dVfsEFjml3sAAALAAAAPSW_yupWMOvoamQlFReIouoFWy5HDk-bH78RYbLOxacM8yZ6NPJGAkZ05aNB26o4vv0d8AcN1UkY8Mu8TAwMDAwMQ
  • District 18: TBD
  • District 19: June 11, 2025, 6:15pm, Roberto Clemente School Auditorium, PS 13, 557 Pennsylvania Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11207
  • District 20: June 11, 2025, 6:00pm, PS 69 Vincent D. Grippo School 6302 9th Ave. Zoom: https://nycdoe.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsduGsrz8oE9W-y5TTDb7ZsM1jB3RhCdk4
  • District 21: June 18, 2025, 6:00pm, PS 212 The Lady Deborah Moody School, 87 Bay 49th Street, Brooklyn NY
  • District 22: June 10, 2025, 7:00pm, 5619 Flatlands Ave, Conference Room, Brooklyn, NY 11234, https://nycdoe.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsduGsrz8oE9W-y5TTDb7ZsM1jB3RhCdk4, Meeting ID: 94826578908, Passcode: 378336, Dial in: 646-518-9805
  • District 23: July 7, 2025, Time TBD, 1784 Park Place, Brooklyn, NY 11233
  • District 24: June 10, 2025, 6:30pm, PS 14, 107-01 Otis Avenue Auditorium
  • District 25: June 4, 2025, 6:45pm, 30-48 Linden Place, Flushing NY 11354 Room 407
  • District 26: June 12, 2025, 7:00pm, MS 74Q - 61-15 Oceania Street, Bayside, NY 11236, Room 129
  • District 27: June 16, 2025, 6:30pm, District 27 Office 82-01 Rockaway Boulevard Ozone Park, NY 11416
  • District 28: June 12, 2025, 6:30pm, https://nycdoe.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsduGsrz8oE9W-y5TTDb7ZsM1jB3RhCdk4
  • District 29: June 12, 2025, 7:00pm, PS 15Q, 121-15 Lucas Street, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413
  • District 30: June 9, 2025, 7:15pm 28-11 Queens Plaza North, 5th Floor. Zoom link to come
  • District 32: June 10, 2025, 6:00pm, IS + A6 De7562 125 Covert Street, Brooklyn NY 11207

Budget

This preliminary plan is a proposal to solicit public feedback and should not be used for school budgeting purposes.

For the 2025-26 school year, existing C4E funding will continue to be distributed to schools in the same manner as currently distributed. New C4E funding will be prioritized to support class sizes needs.

For the proposed allocation of the additional FY2026 C4E funding see the FY2026 Planned Allocation of Funding Above the FY2025 C4E Amount

The following link details the number of teachers to be awarded by school as part of the school-driven approach to class size reduction. This initiative will be supported with a combination of C4E and city tax levy. https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/class-size-plan---25-26-teachers-awarded.xlsx

Spending restrictions apply to C4E allocations, as described in the FY25 Contracts for Excellence SAM, available at: https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/finance_schools/budget/DSBPO/allocationmemo/fy24_25/fy25_docs/fy2025_sam005.htm

Class Size Reduction Plan

2025-2026 Draft Class Size Reduction Plans can be found here.

Class Size Reduction Plan Public Comments will also be found here when available.