Zohran Mamdani proposes ending NYC’s accelerated kindergarten program, keeping current students but blocking new admissions.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani plans to end the city’s accelerated kindergarten program if elected, reverting to former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s policy that phased out the Gifted and Talented program. Current kindergartners in the program would remain, but no new students would be admitted next school year. Mamdani supports keeping admissions exams for specialized high schools, citing his own experience at Bronx High School of Science. His stance contrasts with Mayor Eric Adams, who expanded the program to increase access, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who advocated for broader access to accelerated learning for underrepresented students.