Menin Joins Student Fight to Restore Afterschool Provider
Robert F. Wagner Middle School students rallied on May 21, urging city officials to reconsider the move by the DOE’s Department of Youth & Community Development to yank the contract. Now key allies including City Council speaker Julie Menin have joined the growing backlash.
| 28 May 2026 | 02:07
Middle School Students seek signatures to a petition to the Department of Education, urging the city restore the provider of its after school arts program. The DOE’s Department of Youth & Community Development is switching from Manhattan Youth to another provider at some but not all middle schools. (
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QR code to sign the petition and read more information about what’s going on with the after school program. Some students are protesting the switch by the Department of Ed. to a new after-school provider. (
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Students, parents and community members rallied outside Robert F. Wagner Middle School at 220 E. 76th St. on May 21, protesting the decision by the Department of Education to replace longtime afterschool provider Manhattan Youth at several Manhattan middle schools.
The backlash against the move intensified on May 27 when City Council speaker Julie Menin was joined by council members Virginia Maloney and Harvey Epstein and Assembly Member Keith Powers, in firing off a letter to the Department of Youth & Community Development expressing “serious concerns” about the decision.
In a joint letter to DYCD Commissioner Escamilla-Davies, the East Side political leaders said: “We are writing to express the serious concerns being raised by middle school administrators and families across New York City following the loss of numerous afterschool programming contracts previously held by Manhattan Youth.
“Schools that have relied on Manhattan Youth for nearly a decade were informed, with little to no warning, that their longstanding provider would no longer be returning. This abrupt transition has created significant uncertainty within school communities, many of which are deeply concerned about the impact a sudden change in providers will have on students and families.”
The elected officials are calling on DYCD to explain the selection process, clarify why Manhattan Youth retained contracts at some schools but lost others, and reconsider the award decisions in light of strong support from school communities.
“Principals and parents alike have described Manhattan Youth as ‘irreplaceable’ because of the organization’s ability to coordinate and deliver comprehensive afterschool programming tailored to each school community’s needs,” the letter continued. “Their offerings extend well beyond basic programming and include athletics, arts enrichment, tutoring, and SHSAT preparation, among many other activities.”
The student rally was part of a broader wave of demonstrations organized after families learned the DYCD had reassigned afterschool contracts for the upcoming school year. Parents and school leaders said the process lacked transparency and did not include meaningful input from school communities.
A May 23 email from PTA leaders criticized the decision-making process, calling it “a rushed and opaque process that excluded the very stakeholders most impacted by the outcome.”
At the Wagner rally, students said they were concerned about the impact the changes could have on long-standing programs and relationships within their school communities.
“This new program, IF, is coming, trying to take Manhattan Youth away from us after we already established a community here,” said Ava, a student at Wagner Middle School. “It’s not OK with our school.”
Parents expressed concern that incoming providers may not offer the same range of programming or familiarity with middle school communities.
The dispute centers on contracts awarded through the city’s COMPASS afterschool program. Parents questioned why some schools retained Manhattan Youth while others were assigned new providers.
According to organizers, rallies were held at Wagner Middle School and at J.H.S. 104 Simon Baruch, at 330 E. 21st St. Community members, alumni, incoming families and students attended the rallies.
A petition calling for the reinstatement of Manhattan Youth partnerships had gathered over 5,200 signatures by May 29. Organizers also circulated a QR code at the rally that links directly to the petition’s Change.org page, encouraging attendees to sign, share and follow updates on the effort.
The city has said afterschool programs will remain free and continue to provide safe and enriching activities for students during the transition.
Still, families said the issue extends beyond programming, pointing to the relationships built between students and afterschool staff members over many years.
Menin held a zoom call with DYCD Commissioner Escamilla-Davies on May 26 and urged the department to reconsider the cancellation of the Manhattan Youth contracts in lights of the strong support the program was receiving from educators, parents and students.
Our Town has reached out to the Department of Education and DYSD for comment but had not received a response by press time.