Key facts
- A bill to provide $10,000 bonuses to New York City's full-time paraprofessionals has been approved by the City Council.
- The bonuses would be distributed as four payments of $2,500 throughout the 2026-27 school year.
- The legislation can be reauthorized annually as long as New York City Public Schools faces a paraprofessional shortage.
- The United Federation of Teachers and council members argue that pattern bargaining has led to low paraprofessional pay.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who previously supported the bill, now questions whether compensation should be determined through collective bargaining.
A bill aimed at providing $10,000 bonuses to New York City's full-time paraprofessionals has advanced to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's desk following its approval by the City Council. The legislation, which was reintroduced after failing to pass last year, proposes four payments of $2,500 throughout the 2026-27 school year.
The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and council members have championed the bill, arguing that the city's practice of pattern bargaining has historically suppressed paraprofessional wages, contributing to a shortage of these crucial school staff. New paraprofessionals currently earn approximately $32,000 annually.
While Mamdani had previously supported similar measures, he has expressed reservations since taking office, suggesting that compensation matters should be exclusively addressed through the collective bargaining process. He has a 30-day window to sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature. A veto could be overridden by a two-thirds vote from the council.
Supporters, including UFT President Michael Mulgrew and paraprofessional chapter president Priscilla Castro, emphasized the critical role of paraprofessionals and the need for the city to rectify past injustices. Council committee chair Shirley Aldebol stated that the bonuses are a first step toward resolving the paraprofessional staffing crisis, noting that the bill's structure respects the collective bargaining process by not legislating wages or benefits.