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School Construction Authority
The New York City School Construction Authority was created by the New York State Legislature in December 1988 to take capital construction out of the hands of the Board of Education and consolidate it under a single public-benefit corporation, in response to concerns about mismanagement and cost overruns in school building projects. The SCA now plans, designs, and builds new schools and manages capital improvements across more than 1,400 public school buildings, and has delivered over 333,000 new school seats since its founding.
What's working
- How many new schools were constructed?: 7 schools — decreasing, which SCA attributes to capital-plan phasing, not a construction slowdown
- How many new additions were constructed?: 4 additions — increasing, though this reflects Five-Year Capital Plan phasing, not pace
- What percent of scheduled new seats constructed on time?: 100% — right at target
- and 2 more below
What's getting worse
- What percent of capital improvement projects constructed on time or early?: 53% — increasing, though SCA says it's still recovering from COVID supply-chain impacts
- How much is the construction bid price for school capacity projects per square foot?: $870.00 — misses target by $30.00
Critical indicators
With a numeric target
What percent of scheduled new seats constructed on time?
100%Right at target
What percent of scheduled new seats constructed on time?
100%Right at target
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 100% | 100% |
| FY23 | 100% | 100% |
| FY24 | 100% | 100% |
| FY25 | 100% | 100% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 100% |
100% in FY25 — met the City's own target for this indicator (right at the target), and it has stayed essentially flat over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The New York State Legislature created the School Construction Authority in 1988 after concluding that the Board of Education's Division of School Facilities had completely failed at building high-quality schools and keeping them in repair, citing what lawmakers called the "deplorable condition" of city schools and a lack of accountability. The new public-benefit corporation was designed to remove capital construction from the Board of Education and address structural obstacles like the state's Wicks Law, which had driven up costs and delays on public works projects. SCA now designs and builds new schools and capital improvement projects on the Department of Education's behalf.
New York City School Construction Authority - History, City Journal - Why New York Can't Build Schools
How much is the construction bid price for school capacity projects per square foot?
$870.00Misses target by $30.00
How much is the construction bid price for school capacity projects per square foot?
$870.00Misses target by $30.00
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | $905.00 | $800.00 |
| FY23 | $912.00 | $800.00 |
| FY24 | $894.00 | $900.00 |
| FY25 | $870.00 | $900.00 |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | $900.00 |
$870.00 in FY25 — missed the City's own target for this indicator ($30.00 below the $900.00 target), and it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The New York State Legislature created the School Construction Authority in 1988 after concluding that the Board of Education's Division of School Facilities had completely failed at building high-quality schools and keeping them in repair, citing what lawmakers called the "deplorable condition" of city schools and a lack of accountability. The new public-benefit corporation was designed to remove capital construction from the Board of Education and address structural obstacles like the state's Wicks Law, which had driven up costs and delays on public works projects. SCA now designs and builds new schools and capital improvement projects on the Department of Education's behalf.
New York City School Construction Authority - History, City Journal - Why New York Can't Build Schools
How many new schools were constructed?
7 schools — decreasing, which SCA attributes to capital-plan phasing, not a construction slowdownRight at target
How many new schools were constructed?
7 schools — decreasing, which SCA attributes to capital-plan phasing, not a construction slowdownRight at target
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 32 schools | Not available |
| FY23 | 23 schools | 23 schools |
| FY24 | 14 schools | 14 schools |
| FY25 | 7 schools | 7 schools |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 6 schools |
SCA's own reporting says the number of new schools and seats it delivers "fluctuates year-to-year based on the Five-Year Capital Plan," which scheduled a significantly larger batch of school openings in FY22-24 than in the years before or after. The decline to 7 new schools in FY25 reflects that capital-plan phasing rather than a slowdown in construction activity, since the Authority still exceeded its FY25 seat-creation target.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC School Construction Authority, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report
Why this is tracked
The New York State Legislature created the School Construction Authority in 1988 after concluding that the Board of Education's Division of School Facilities had completely failed at building high-quality schools and keeping them in repair, citing what lawmakers called the "deplorable condition" of city schools and a lack of accountability. The new public-benefit corporation was designed to remove capital construction from the Board of Education and address structural obstacles like the state's Wicks Law, which had driven up costs and delays on public works projects. SCA now designs and builds new schools and capital improvement projects on the Department of Education's behalf.
New York City School Construction Authority - History, City Journal - Why New York Can't Build Schools
How many new additions were constructed?
4 additions — increasing, though this reflects Five-Year Capital Plan phasing, not paceRight at target
How many new additions were constructed?
4 additions — increasing, though this reflects Five-Year Capital Plan phasing, not paceRight at target
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 3 additions | Not available |
| FY23 | 2 additions | 2 additions |
| FY24 | 10 additions | 10 additions |
| FY25 | 4 additions | 4 additions |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 4 additions |
SCA's own reporting says the number of new school additions it delivers each year "fluctuates year-to-year based on the Five-Year Capital Plan," which scheduled an unusually large batch of projects to be completed in FY24 compared to the years before and after. The dip back to 4 additions in FY25 reflects that capital-plan phasing of when projects are finished, not a change in construction pace.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC School Construction Authority, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report
Why this is tracked
The New York State Legislature created the School Construction Authority in 1988 after concluding that the Board of Education's Division of School Facilities had completely failed at building high-quality schools and keeping them in repair, citing what lawmakers called the "deplorable condition" of city schools and a lack of accountability. The new public-benefit corporation was designed to remove capital construction from the Board of Education and address structural obstacles like the state's Wicks Law, which had driven up costs and delays on public works projects. SCA now designs and builds new schools and capital improvement projects on the Department of Education's behalf.
New York City School Construction Authority - History, City Journal - Why New York Can't Build Schools
What percent of capital improvement projects constructed on time or early?
53% — increasing, though SCA says it's still recovering from COVID supply-chain impactsMisses target by 7%
What percent of capital improvement projects constructed on time or early?
53% — increasing, though SCA says it's still recovering from COVID supply-chain impactsMisses target by 7%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 47% | 80% |
| FY23 | 31% | 80% |
| FY24 | 43% | 80% |
| FY25 | 53% | 60% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 60% |
SCA attributes its below-target on-time-or-early completion rate for capital improvement projects to lingering COVID-19-era supply chain disruptions, stating the Authority is "still recovering" from these impacts even as the share of projects finished on time or early climbed from 31% in FY23 to 53% in FY25.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC School Construction Authority, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report
Why this is tracked
The New York State Legislature created the School Construction Authority in 1988 after concluding that the Board of Education's Division of School Facilities had completely failed at building high-quality schools and keeping them in repair, citing what lawmakers called the "deplorable condition" of city schools and a lack of accountability. The new public-benefit corporation was designed to remove capital construction from the Board of Education and address structural obstacles like the state's Wicks Law, which had driven up costs and delays on public works projects. SCA now designs and builds new schools and capital improvement projects on the Department of Education's behalf.
New York City School Construction Authority - History, City Journal - Why New York Can't Build Schools
What percent of capital improvement projects constructed within budget?
82%Beats target by 2%
What percent of capital improvement projects constructed within budget?
82%Beats target by 2%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 72% | 80% |
| FY23 | 77% | 80% |
| FY24 | 78% | 80% |
| FY25 | 82% | 80% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 80% |
82% in FY25 — met the City's own target for this indicator (2% above the 80% target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The New York State Legislature created the School Construction Authority in 1988 after concluding that the Board of Education's Division of School Facilities had completely failed at building high-quality schools and keeping them in repair, citing what lawmakers called the "deplorable condition" of city schools and a lack of accountability. The new public-benefit corporation was designed to remove capital construction from the Board of Education and address structural obstacles like the state's Wicks Law, which had driven up costs and delays on public works projects. SCA now designs and builds new schools and capital improvement projects on the Department of Education's behalf.
New York City School Construction Authority - History, City Journal - Why New York Can't Build Schools
Without a numeric target
What percent of ultimate cost of insurance losses (as % of construction value)?
6.8%
What percent of ultimate cost of insurance losses (as % of construction value)?
6.8%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 8.6% |
| FY23 | 8.7% |
| FY24 | 7.4% |
| FY25 | 6.8% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
6.8% in FY25 — has no numeric target set by the City, and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The New York State Legislature created the School Construction Authority in 1988 after concluding that the Board of Education's Division of School Facilities had completely failed at building high-quality schools and keeping them in repair, citing what lawmakers called the "deplorable condition" of city schools and a lack of accountability. The new public-benefit corporation was designed to remove capital construction from the Board of Education and address structural obstacles like the state's Wicks Law, which had driven up costs and delays on public works projects. SCA now designs and builds new schools and capital improvement projects on the Department of Education's behalf.
New York City School Construction Authority - History, City Journal - Why New York Can't Build Schools