Gothamist | As he tries to solve New York City’s budget crisis, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is following in his predecessors’ footsteps by vowing to rein in the practice of taxpayers covering the cost of private tuition for students with disabilities.

While his budget plan directs new spending on preschool special education, it’s unclear how the mayor intends to address the needs of older children.

During the last school year, more than 7,500 students who needed speech therapy never received the service, while 6,400 students ended the school year without having ever received mandated counseling services, according to Randi Levine, a policy director for Advocates for Children.