New York Appleseed Releases a Statement On Findings from New York State Comptroller DiNapoli’s Recent Audit Regarding NYC High Schools' Matching Process

8.1.25 at 2:00 PM– New York Appleseed thanks the Office of the New York State Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, for conducting a critical audit of New York City’s high school matching algorithm and related admissions processes. We are especially grateful for the report’s attention to overlooked barriers facing some of the city’s most vulnerable student populations as they navigate this complex system.

In June 2022, New York Appleseed launched its Focus on Fairness campaign to advocate for admissions policies that center fairness and transparency for all students and families. The New York State Comptroller’s findings affirm longstanding concerns, revealing gaps in both fairness—where vulnerable student groups such as low-income students or those in temporary housing can quickly become lost in the complexity of the matching process—and transparency, with the audit uncovering insufficient documentation of internal procedures and significant delays in data sharing.

Discrepancies in the identification and placement of low-income students and students in temporary housing into their appropriate priority groups are particularly troublesome. These variances have the potential to compromise the intended safeguards in place to support historically marginalized students in their choices, increasing their risk of missed opportunities.

We also appreciate the audit’s attention to delays in data reporting. Year after year, required enrollment reporting under Local Law 72 (2018) and Local Law 59 (2015) comes later and later, undermining the intention of timely public oversight. Additionally, preliminary Fall high school offer data, previously released in May or June, has been pushed back even later, just being released on the last day of July for 2025. The myriad of data reports are critical for understanding how recent changes in the admissions process affect student choice and offer outcomes, and for identifying patterns that contribute to continued school segregation across NYC high schools.

While we remain steadfast in advocating for systemic improvements, we also want to recognize the efforts of dedicated staff at the Office of Student Enrollment, many of whom are committed to doing right by students and families. Over the past five years, we’ve seen meaningful improvements in accessibility, transparency, and timeliness. These values must now be extended to the internal operations and decision-making processes that have been identified for areas of improvement.

There has been much progress, and this audit also makes clear that much work remains. We will be vigilant to NYCPS responses to the audit’s recommendations and encourage urgency toward necessary and feasible corrective action. New York Appleseed will also continue working to ensure the admissions process reflects the values of equity, transparency, and opportunity for all of New York City’s students.

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