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Schools Chancellor David Banks has decided not to change the high school admissions process for next year — angering those who call it a glorified lottery and pleasing groups who back more diversity in competitive schools.
Under the current system, left for the new Eric Adams administration by his predecessor Bill de Blasio, all kids with grade averages of 85 and higher will enter a top tier of applicants.
The DOE said 60 percent of applicants will hit that mark — and then be at the mercy of a mere lottery. Other parent groups have argued that more will qualify.
That approach, they contend, renders top grades irrelevant.
Under intense pressure from all sides, Banks hinted at a possible alteration in recent days. The new schools chief has stressed that the system was devised before he took office and that he recognized why some were opposed.
But with applications due Friday, Banks opted not to disturb what has become a increasingly fractious status quo.
Department of Education models found that the admissions process for next year will boost black and Hispanic enrollment by 13 percent.
“We are happy that Chancellor Banks took into account that families of students already made decisions based on the admissions criteria given,” said Kaliris Salas of Community Education Council 4. “He was not persuaded to change it last minute based on a meritocracy that doesn’t exist in our public schools.”
Banks was besieged in recent weeks by frustrated parents who said their kids earned top grades — but got lottery numbers that made their placement at a strong school nearly impossible.
Many of those families said they planned to exit the DOE — and perhaps the city — if the admissions framework did not change at the last minute.
Parent and Community Education Council 2 member Janie Hwang said her son had notched a grade average of roughly 98 over the last two years. But his assigned lottery number, Hwang said, put him in the bottom 2 percent of applicants in the expanded top bucket.
“We luckily prepared for this,” Hwang said. “He is going to a Catholic school. But my concern is for the families, many of them immigrant families, who don’t have the language or the wherewithal to know what to do at this point.”
Kaushik Das, who also sits on CEC 2, said the DOE should brace for a wave of parent attrition. The DOE’s recent history, he argued, has signaled a hostility towards advanced students.
“It’s demoralizing,” Das said. “He made the wrong choice. It’s true that no matter what way he turned he would upset parents. But he chose the path that will lead to fewer parents in the DOE and fewer parents in New York City.”
Backers of the DOE’s call have argued that screened schools historically reward more affluent families who have the means for tutors and other academic advantages.
They also contend that screened high schools should admit kids with potential and talent that aren’t reflected in academic metrics.
NY Appleseed, an advocacy group opposed to screens, endorsed the DOE’s decision.
“Appleseed is thankful that the collective voice against drastic last-minute HS admissions changes was heard,” the organization said. “We stand ready to think more comprehensively about how high school admissions can prioritize equity, transparency, inclusivity, and excellence in the next cycle.”
The DOE and Banks have both stressed that the current system is not permanent and will likely change next year.
“I’ve heard from families across the city over the past two months, and the consensus is clear: we must reform our enrollment and admissions policies and expand access to quality schools,” he said. “The decades-long status quo of dread and stress around this process ends under this administration.”
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