What began as a lesson on civic engagement at the Mott Haven Library’s fourth floor soon became a lively discussion on what South Bronx public schools need.
With $1 million from Councilwoman Diana Ayala’s office allocated for school construction projects and upgrades, it was clear that funding was needed but how it should be distributed was up for debate. On Feb. 27 after class was dismissed, students, parents and faculty from International High School, PS 277 and PS 30 narrowed the list of proposals competing for capital funding this year.
When some hands eagerly rose in favor of sensory rooms at neighboring schools, others waited to show their support for bookshelves and playgrounds at their own institution.
Origins of Participatory Budgeting
This debate, where students as young as 11 years old participated, is part of participatory budgeting, a process that originated in Brazil in 1989 and helped reduce child mortality by nearly 20% there by allowing civilians to decide how public funds are spent, according to a nonprofit called the Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP). Participatory budgeting intends to encourage co-governance and trust between locals and their elected officials.
“Participatory budgeting and participatory democracy give people a direct say in the decisions that most impact their lives and are putting into motion the maxim that those closest to the problems are closest to the solutions,” said Rahel Teka, the Participatory Budgeting Project’s director of strategic communications.
Today, the process has been implemented in more than 7,000 cities globally and was introduced to the US by the city of Chicago in 2009. New York City has run participatory budgeting initiatives through the City Council since 2011.
Ayala’s predecessor, Melissa Mark-Viverito, and three other council members were the first to adopt the collaborative process for their districts. Twenty-six of the 51 council districts are participating this year, allocating at least $1 million of their $5 million in capital discretionary funds for people who live in the district to decide how to spend. Unlike elections, to be part of participatory budgeting one only needs to be 11 years old or older and live in the district. Allowing young people in the participatory budgeting process could help them become more civically engaged, according to Teka.
“Being able to have a voice in your government so young really does alter that trajectory of how you see yourself and your relationship to government,” Teka said.
Focus on Schools
Councilwoman Ayala, who represents District 8 and is serving her last term, has decided to give $1 million each for the South Bronx and East Harlem communities she represents with a focus this year on school-related proposals.
“A lot of our Bronx schools are in deteriorating conditions and the PB process can get very competitive and sometimes the schools don’t get to win a project, and we thought it was important to give an opportunity for the schools to be involved,” said Stephanie Hererra, Ayala’s deputy chief-of-staff. “We just thought it was important for the kids, principals and community to decide where to spend the money and for them to let us know what they need for their schools.”
Ninety-two ideas were collected last October and November for local school projects. Ayala’s team hosted several meetings with budget delegates who volunteer to develop, discuss and evaluate proposals related to community needs like housing, transportation, public health, or in this case, education. Once proposals were submitted, they were reviewed by the School Construction Authority by February to determine their feasibility and realistic cost.
In order to be eligible for participatory budgeting funds, proposals need to be for physical projects with a life span of five years if it’s not technology-related and cost between $50,000 and $1 million. Given the price limitations, successful projects are usually renovations or upgrades to existing things, rather than large-scale new projects such as building a park, Ayala’s chief of staff Elsie Encarnacion explained.
Between March 29 and April 6, people in District 8, regardless of their immigration status, will choose their favorite five projects from a list of 12 proposals, six from the South Bronx and six from East Harlem. As of press time, it was not yet clear which 12 proposals would be on the ballot.
Maria Rosario, guidance counselor for PS 277 on St. Ann’s Avenue, said participatory budgeting can help students obtain resources necessary for their mental health and improve learning conditions while encouraging student council members to engage with the community beyond the school.
“We’re always looking to see how we can help our community,” Rosario said, noting student leaders have taught their peers about recycling and worked with a nonprofit that delivers meals to those with severe or chronic illnesses, “showing them what empathy is, showing them to be humble, and showing them that life matters. No matter whose life it is, we should be kind and loving towards each other,” she said.
Compensating for Lost Funding
Recently President Donald Trump’s newly-appointed Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, reduced by 50% the workforce of the federal Department of Education. New York City schools receive approximately $2 billion from the federal government, THE CITY reported. While the impact of the federal cuts on the NYC Department of Education are not yet clear, parents and school leaders are worried.
During this time of “concentration of power,” in which federal agencies have lost funding, participatory budgeting could build trust between people and their government, Teka suggested.
“It’s very important to double down and really invest in the opportunities to have governance and have a government formed by the people,” Teka said.
A proposal for a playground at PS 30 in Mott Haven received widespread support among budget delegates in the participatory budgeting meeting on March 4, though it is not confirmed whether it will be on the final ballot. The playground would cost about $350,000. Teachers have been asking for three years for a safe place to take their youngest students for outdoor play, saying they’d prefer something other than St. Mary’s Park, according to Mireybi Vega, who works at PS 30.
“Before we used to have a back courtyard and with all the renovations, our children don’t really get to go outside and play, and I think they need to have a balance between the rigor of academics and joy of playtime,” Vega said.
At each participatory budgeting meeting, there was an emphasis among most budget delegates to allow as many South Bronx schools as possible to benefit from Ayala’s $1 million allocation.
“Because at the end of the day, all of these kids are our kids,” said Evelyn Gomez, who also works for PS 30.
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