Out of a potential 78,000 eighth graders in public school who should sit for the Specialized High School Admission Test (SHSAT) only 30,000 took the exam in 2019.

Legislation proposed by Public Advocate Williams and Council Member Kallos would mandate that every public student be offered free preparation and be required to sit for the exam in order to improve the specialized schools’ diversity.

The Education Equity Campaign led by Ronald Lauder and Richard Parsons has called for these proposals.

The New York Times has reported on the loss of Black and Hispanic students at the Specialized High Schools.

Public Advocate Williams graduated from the Brooklyn Technical High School starting in 1992 when demographics included 13% Hispanic, 16% White, 32% Asian, and 38% Black, whose Black student population has been in free fall by a factor of five to only 7% as of 2016.

Council Member Kallos graduated the Bronx High School of Science starting 1994 when demographics included 10% Hispanic, 12% Black, 38% White, and 40% Asian, whose Hispanic and Black student populations have more than halved to only 9% as of 2017.