AkilNYC / Education
English Language Learners in NYC public schools, 13 years
How many students are still learning English, citywide and by borough and school district, from 2013–14 to 2025–26.
2013–14 to 2025–26 · Updated 2026-09-24
- English Language Learners
- 146,393 → 152,863+6,470All public schools, including charter schools, 2013–14 → 2025–26
- Share of K–12 students
- 14.0% → 16.3%+2.3 percentage pointsIdentification starts in kindergarten
- One-year jump, 2023–24
- 148,544 → 163,936+15,392Largest one-year increase in the 13 years
- Since the 2024–25 peak
- 169,477 → 152,863−16,6142024–25 → 2025–26
English Language Learners by school year
NYC public schools, including charter schools.
K–12 enrollment fell by 129,123 students from 2016–17 to 2025–26; 2023–24 was its only rise in that span (+10,860).
What the city reported
- The city reported enrolling 50,000 children from newly arrived families in NYC public schools from spring 2022 to July 2025. This is a running total, not a count of English Language Learners. NYC Mayor’s Office, July 2025 announcement ↗
- In November 2023, Schools Chancellor David Banks said much of that school year’s enrollment increase could be attributed to newly arrived students. NY1, November 15, 2023 ↗
By borough
Including charter schools.
| Borough | 2013–14 | 2025–26 | Change | 2023–24 one-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queens | 42,197 | 51,324 | +9,127 | +6,602 |
| Brooklyn | 40,973 | 43,379 | +2,406 | +3,456 |
| Bronx | 38,391 | 35,117 | −3,274 | +625 |
| Manhattan | 21,499 | 17,741 | −3,758 | +4,430 |
| Staten Island | 3,333 | 5,302 | +1,969 | +279 |
Largest changes by school district
New York City Public Schools in community school districts 1–32, grouped by each school’s district, not where students live.
| District | Neighborhoods | 2013–14 | 2025–26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 28 | Forest Hills, Jamaica | 3,910 | 5,678 | +1,768 |
| District 25 | Flushing, College Point | 6,491 | 8,051 | +1,560 |
| District 27 | Ozone Park, Rockaways | 4,068 | 5,543 | +1,475 |
| District 31 | Staten Island | 3,177 | 4,629 | +1,452 |
| District 10 | Fordham, Bedford Park | 11,724 | 7,772 | −3,952 |
| District 6 | Washington Heights, Inwood | 7,678 | 4,475 | −3,203 |
| District 9 | Concourse, Claremont | 8,435 | 5,291 | −3,144 |
| District 20 | Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights | 12,176 | 10,109 | −2,067 |
Charter schools, reported citywide as one group, went from 4,541 to 16,307 English Language Learners over the same years.
Notes
- An English Language Learner is a student still learning English. Students are screened when they enroll, starting in kindergarten, and leave the count once they test proficient; it is not a count of new arrivals.
- English Language Learner status is counted at the end of each school year (June 30; June 4 in 2025–26). Enrollment is counted on October 31.
- Each year comes from the latest Department of Education data release that covers it.
Sources
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