Overview

• New York City spent an estimated $97 million on mandatory restorative justice programs since 2015 without consistent training or accountability
• NYPD school safety records show violent incidents rose from about 1,200 in early 2016 to over 4,100 in the first quarter of 2025
• Chronic absenteeism climbed from 26.5% in 2018–19 to 34.8% in 2022–23, with high-poverty Title I schools experiencing the worst disruptions
• The brief recommends reinstating principal authority, linking funding to measurable outcomes and redirecting resources toward structured behavioral supports
• A federal executive order in April 2025 directed a rollback of equity-driven discipline guidance and a return to behavior-based policies