The New York City Council’s Committee on Education on Thursday heard testimony from Department of Education officials who said transfer high schools are producing measurable improvements for over‑age, under‑credited students, while warning that staffing shortfalls and funding gaps could undercut progress.

John Sullivan, superintendent of transfer high schools, told the committee that the city operates 51 transfer schools and that the transfer high school district supervises 42 schools across all five boroughs. He said transfer schools currently serve 8,734 students, including 2,082 students with disabilities, 2,608 English‑language learners and roughly 1,986 students in temporary housing. "Transfer schools build bridges, not barriers to education," Sullivan said, adding that the schools provide targeted advisories, social‑emotional supports, and partnerships with community‑based organizations that operate the Learning to Work program.

Why it matters: Transfer schools serve students who disengaged from traditional high schools for reasons ranging from housing instability to caregiving and justice involvement. Many students enter transfer programs with fewer than nine credits and limited Regents exam history; the district says its model focuses on credit recovery, attendance, internships and individualized pacing rather than only a four‑year graduation metric.

Key outcomes and supports

- Attendance: Sullivan said district attendance rose from a post‑pandemic low of about 56% to roughly 67% by 2024–25 (DOE later gave a current rate of about 68.2%). He said student chronic absenteeism has dropped from 84.4% to about 77% and continues to improve.

- Credit and Regents gains: DOE data presented at the hearing show transfer students improved credit accumulation by an average of 3.7 credits in 2024–25 compared with the previous year and pass Regents exams at higher rates than they did at prior schools; the district reported a six‑year graduation rate (including GED completers) of about 61%.

- Advanced coursework and credentials: Sullivan said AP participation grew substantially—176 students took 242 AP exams in 2021; by 2025, 505 students took 738 exams, with 261 scores of 3 or higher. DOE also described expansions of job‑certification offerings and partnerships with employers.

Funding, program and staffing concerns

DOE officials described a learning‑to‑work (LTW) program that supports internships and college‑and‑career advising. Melanie Mack, director involved in LTW, said the program currently moves about $43 million a year through CBO contracts; $12 million of that is baseline city funding while $31 million has been provided annually but not yet baselined. Mack told the committee an RFP to rebid LTW contracts is "on track for release in the next month."

Council members pressed DOE about staff shortages. Sullivan acknowledged gaps in licensed teachers for students with disabilities and bilingual/ENL certifications in some schools and said that, in several cases, schools are still programming students while they seek hires. Andy Corso, representing the division of inclusive and accessible learning, said the department is expanding monitoring and training but confirmed some sites remain out of compliance at times for required EL and special‑education services.

Enrollment volatility and budget mechanics

Council members raised the challenge of midyear enrollment changes. Sullivan said transfer schools enroll students year‑round and that budgets set after October 31 can lag actual enrollment trends, producing funding pressure when large cohorts of newcomers arrive later in the school year.

What the hearing did not decide

The committee did not vote on any legislation. Council members asked DOE to supply follow‑up data on school‑level staffing, the full list of LTW CBO contracts, site‑level EL and special‑education compliance numbers, and detailed restart (over‑age middle school) enrollments.

Ending note

DOE officials invited council members to visit transfer schools. Chair Rita Joseph called for continued investment and follow‑up, and said the council will monitor the RFP timeline and baseline funding requests.