What are Community and Citywide Education Councils and what do they do?
Education Councils help shape policies and priorities for New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). By law, each council has powers and duties concerning a range of matters, including working directly with district superintendents, reviewing educational programs, approving school zoning lines, and making recommendations to improve services to NYCPS students.
There are 32 Community Education Councils (CECs) and four City Councils: the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS), the Citywide Council for District 75 (CCD75), the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE), and the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL).
You can learn more about each of these councils and what they do on our Community and Citywide Education Councils page, as well as in our 2025 Elections Guide, which you can find below under "Resources and Documents."
How do I apply to run for a seat on an Education Council?
To run for a seat on any Education Council, you must first sign up for a NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) and link all your children who attend NYCPS schools to the account. The account must be in your name.
If you do not have a NYCSA, visit schoolsaccount.nyc to get started by creating your account. Then, contact your school's parent coordinator for assistance with linking your child to your account. It may take a few days to create a full NYCSA, so be sure to begin the process well before the end of the application period.
Applications for the 2025–2027 term will open in January 2025.
Who is eligible to run for a seat on an Education Council?
All elected members of Education Councils must be the parent or legal guardian of a student currently attending a school or program funded by New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). For more details about eligibility requirements, please see Chancellor's Regulation D-150-B.
Furthermore, each council has its own unique eligibility requirements:
- If you are applying to a Community Education Council (CEC), you must have a child who is currently attending Kindergarten through grade 8 in a school or a pre-K program offered by a school under the jurisdiction of the community school district where you wish to serve on the CEC. You also qualify to run for a seat on that CEC if you have a child attending a D75 program physically located in the CEC’s geographic district. This is a reserved seat, for which only D75 parents can run or vote.
- If you are applying to the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS), you must have a child currently attending a public, non-charter high school. CCHS has ten elected seats, two for each borough. There is a separate election for each borough; where your child’s high school is located will determine which ballot you qualify for.
- If you are applying to the Citywide Council for District 75 (CCD75), you must have a child enrolled in a D75 school or program anywhere in New York City. That child will also qualify you to run for the CEC where your child’s program is physically located.
- If you are applying to the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE) you must have a child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The child may be in a DOE, charter or private school.
- If you are applying to the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL), you must have a child classified as an English Language Learner (ELL) who is currently enrolled in a Dual Language, Transitional Bilingual Education, or English as a New Language (ENL) program, or who was enrolled in such a program within the previous two years.
You can find more information about eligibility requirements in our 2025 Eligibility Checklist under the "Resources and Documents" section below.
Do I qualify for any councils if my child attends a charter school?
As a charter school parent, you qualify for CCSE if your child has an IEP with services provided by or paid for by NYCPS. You do not qualify for CEC, CCHS, CCELL or CCD75.
Do I qualify for any councils if my child attends a non-public school?
If your child is in a non-public school and has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) you are eligible to run for a seat on the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE) as long as the special education services are provided by or paid for by New York City Public Schools.
If you are unable to establish a NYCSA account, please contact Elections2025@schools.nyc.gov.
When is my eligibility to run determined?
Your eligibility is determined as of the date you submit an application.
- For CEC (including the D75 seat) and CCHS: you can complete a full two-year term even if your child no longer attends a qualifying school.
- For CCELL, CCSE, and CCD75: you will be required to resign your seat if your child no longer qualifies as an ELL (CCELL), no longer has an IEP (CCSE), or no longer attends a D75 school or program (CCD75).
Can I run for more than one council?
You can run for multiple councils, but you can only serve on one.
The council(s) for which you are eligible are based on the children linked to your NYCSA and will be automatically displayed when you apply. For example, if you have three children—an ELL enrolled in a D75 program in District 2, a first grader with an IEP in a District 1 school, and a tenth grader in a Queens high school—you will see these options: CCD75, CCSE, CCELL, D75 seat on CEC 2, CEC 1, and CCHS-Queens.
You will be required to choose which councils you wish to run for and rank them in order of preference. If you are elected to more than one council, you will be assigned to serve on the one you ranked highest.
What if I don't meet the eligibility criteria for an elected seat, but I am still interested in serving on a council?
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria for a council you are interested in serving on, you may still be able to serve as an appointee. Appointees do not need to be parents, but must meet other qualifications. Visit our Borough President and Public Advocate Appointee Seats page for more information and applications.
Who is not eligible to apply or serve on an Education Council?
NYCPS employees, most elected public officials, and members of the Panel for Educational Policy cannot serve. If you fall into one of these categories, you may run for an Education Council, but must choose between continuing in your current position or serving on a council if you are elected. Under certain circumstances, other parents may be barred from serving as well. Please see Chancellor's Regulation D-140-170 for further details.
How long does it take to complete the application?
Apart from the personal statement, all sections of the application can be completed in 5–10 minutes. A personal statement is not required, however, you are strongly encouraged to submit one. Statements will be published for voters and are a great way to connect with them!
What happens after I submit my application? When will parents begin to vote?
Once you have submitted your application, be sure to familiarize yourself with the campaigning guidelines and attend the relevant candidate forum(s). Campaigning will take place from February to April 2025.
After the campaigning period, parents will vote for all 357 council seats by May 13, 2025. Results will be announced in June, and elected members will serve two-year terms from July 1, 2025–June 30, 2027.