The School Construction Authority (SCA) was established by the New York State Legislature in December 1988 to build new public schools and manage the design, construction and renovation of capital projects in New York City's more than 1,400 public school buildings, half of which were constructed before 1949. Since its creation, the SCA has provided more than 333,000 new school seats for New York City students.


The School Construction Authority manages New York City Public Schools’ Capital Plan and is solely accountable for planning, real estate, and budgeting, as well as the scoping, design and construction of new schools and additions, as well as capital improvements to existing schools.

Placement of sole responsibility for the Capital Plan with the SCA offers several key benefits:

  • Improved management of the construction process
  • Reduced school construction costs as a result of simplified design standards
  • Increased competition among contractors
  • Online contractor prequalification
  • Enhanced coordination between the public and private sectors

The SCA wrapped up the FY2020-2024 five-year plan and looks forward to continuing to work together with all stakeholders as the FY2025-2029 Capital Plan commences with total funding of $20.5 billion. Through this Plan, we will continue the progress we have made in recent years in expanding and enhancing school infrastructure to meet the needs of New York City’s future generations of schoolchildren.

The FY2025-2029 Plan is organized to encompass efforts in four categories: Capacity, Healthy Schools, Capital Investment, and mandated programs. This Five-Year Capital Plan will continue the City’s long-term commitment to investing in the creation of new seats, not only in areas of current overcrowding and projected enrollment growth, but also to help schools comply with recent state legislation requiring smaller class sizes.

Introducing the newly created Healthy Schools category will enable us to allocate funds strategically for promoting healthier school environments, advocating health and nutrition, and broadening opportunities for physical education. We will also continue to invest in our existing infrastructure via the Capital Investment category which provides better facilities for New York City’s students, teachers, and staff. The Mandated category includes funding to meet requirements by local law, City agency mandates, and other required elements such as remediation and building code compliance projects, insurance, and emergency projects.

The SCA deeply values the power of design to reflect and shape the identities of the communities we serve. The SCA’s commitment to designing and constructing school buildings goes beyond addressing functional needs—it embraces the role of schools as vital community landmarks. These buildings are not merely places of learning but serve as hubs of connection, safety, and growth. 

As always, the SCA's primary goal is to ensure that NYC public school children have the facilities necessary to prepare them for the 21st century and beyond. The SCA keeps moving forward, constantly innovating to ensure that we design and build schools that meet the current needs of our students and teachers. In all areas, our staff works to ensure consistently high quality of work and that public dollars are spent wisely.