Manhattan parents are bristling at a fast-moving plan to bring an artificial intelligence-focused public high school to Lower Manhattan as soon as this fall, arguing that City Hall is rushing a major experiment on their kids without enough scrutiny.
The proposal would create Next Generation Technology High School as a screened‑admissions 9–12 campus in District 2 and, if approved, would take over the building now occupied by the Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women. Critics say the rollout feels more like a tech-industry pilot than a neighborhood school change. A public hearing is set for April 14, and the city’s Panel for Educational Policy is expected to take up the plan in late April.
What the proposal says
On paper, Next Generation Technology High School is billed as a competency‑based, project‑driven campus that promises what organizers call “ethical technological literacy.” The school’s interest form names Caleb Haraguchi‑Combs as the founding principal, lists the proposed DBN (02M426), and sets a September 2026 ninth‑grade opening with room for roughly 450–500 students. It also outlines a special application round, with applications opening March 19 and offers going out in May, and notes that three virtual open houses were held before the proposal advanced, according to the Next Generation Technology High School interest form.
Parents and councils push back
At recent District 2 meetings, parents and advocates have pushed back hard, saying the timetable short‑circuits meaningful community review and raises red flags about who will ultimately shape the curriculum. A coalition letter circulated earlier this year calls for a two‑year moratorium on student‑facing AI tools and points out that “CECs are already passing resolutions supporting an AI moratorium.” That campaign, organized and publicized by NYC‑DSA Tech Action OC and allied groups, urges tighter safeguards before any widespread student use of AI in classrooms, as outlined by NYC‑DSA Tech Action.
Big‑tech ties and official timeline
Opponents have zeroed in on the plan’s tech‑industry links. District officials and meeting notes connect the proposal to Manhattan superintendent Gary Beidleman’s work as a Google education innovation fellow, and critics say Google and OpenAI figures have appeared as listed partners on planning documents. The education department released its set of new‑school proposals in early March, and district leaders say the chancellor’s office intends to issue guidance on AI and open a 45‑day public comment window while the city weighs broader policy. Those details, along with accounts of industry involvement, were reported by Chalkbeat.
How families can weigh in and what’s next
The education department’s Panel for Educational Policy calendar lists an April 29 meeting where Manhattan school‑utilization proposals are slated to appear on the agenda, and parents can sign up to speak at that session, according to the city’s Panel for Educational Policy. In the meantime, Next Generation’s public materials continue to list open‑house dates, the application calendar, and a contact email for families seeking details or looking to air concerns.
For now, the plan remains just that: a proposal. Any final green light will have to move through the Panel for Educational Policy’s vote and the education department’s community‑feedback timeline, as laid out in the project’s materials and the city’s public schedule.
