>> WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE DAY BEFORE SCHOOL OPENING. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CHILDREN MATCH THAT EXCITEMENT, BUT LET'S HOPE THEY DO. >> THE ANTICIPATION IS BUILDING AROUND THE BRONX AND THROUGHOUT NEW YORK CITY. THIS TIME TOMORROW, NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL KIDS WILL HAVE DAY ONE OF THE 20 2425 SCHOOL YEAR IN THE BOOKS, A YEAR FILLED WITH HOPE AND POSSIBILITY. AND IN SOME BOROUGHS, BRAND NEW BUILDINGS WITH MORE SPACE. >> WE WANT THEM TO HAVE SCIENCE LABS, MUSIC ROOMS, SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS, GYMS, AUDITORIUMS AND LIBRARIES THAT ARE MODERN AND STATE OF THE ART. >> THERE WILL BE 24 NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS ACROSS THE CITY NINE IN BROOKLYN, EIGHT IN THE BRONX, SIX IN QUEENS, AND ONE IN MANHATTAN. THE NEW BUILDINGS COME AS NEW YORK STATE HAS MANDATED REDUCED CLASS SIZES BEGINNING THIS YEAR. THE CITY HAS FIVE YEARS TO COMPLY. THESE NEWER BUILDINGS WILL HELP WITH THAT. >> THE CLASS SIZE LAW AT ITS FULL ON IMPLEMENTATION WILL REQUIRE US TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL 10 TO 12,000 MORE TEACHERS, FIRST OF ALL. SO EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T BUILD ANYTHING ELSE, YOU WILL NEED 10 TO 12,000 MORE TEACHERS WHERE THERE IS A NATIONAL TEACHER SHORTAGE. >> ONE SCHOOL THAT HAS SUCCESSFULLY LOWERED CLASS SIZES IS 145, IN JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS. THE UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS SEES IT AS A MODEL OF SUCCESS FOR OTHER SCHOOLS TO FOLLOW. >> AND WE'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IS, NO MATTER YOUR ZIP CODE, YOUR RACE, OR WHO YOU LOVE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A QUALITY EDUCATION. AND TODAY, WITH THIS SCHOOL IS ACCOMPLISHING IS REALLY GOING TO ENSURE. AND IT'S THE BLUEPRINT FOR WHAT THE CITY SHOULD DO. >> AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CLASS SIZES LAST YEAR, CLASS SIZES RANGED FROM 21 TO 25 KIDS. BY 2028, THE LOWER GRADES WILL HAVE NO MORE THAN 20 KIDS IN THEM. FOURTH THROUGH EIGHT WILL BE CAPPED AT 23 STUDENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES CANNOT