Bid to shrink class sizes

The City Council announced a bill Thursday that would lower school class sizes to protect against coronavirus transmission and bolster overall learning.

Education Committee Chair Mark Treyger and Council Speaker Corey Johnson want to raise the minimum-per-student space requirement from 20 to 35 square feet in all grades over the next three years.

Overcrowded buildings would potentially be able to use auditoriums and other areas, officials said.

Treyger did not put a price tag on the plan but said new funding sources make it feasible.