Manhattan Youth has run programs in 24 Manhattan middle schools for over a decade. It won’t be back in roughly half of them this fall.
At a Glance
- Manhattan Youth lost contracts at about 12 Manhattan middle schools
- New after-school providers take over in fall 2026
- Schools affected include MS 104, Wagner, Yorkville East, and Salk
- The changes come after a citywide DYCD rebid process
- Parents have launched a petition calling for more transparency
- Programs remain free and school-based despite provider changes
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Which Schools Are Affected by the Manhattan Youth Contract Changes
Manhattan Youth has lost after-school contracts at approximately 12 Manhattan middle schools following the city’s latest round of competitive bidding. It’s a significant reduction for an organization that has been a fixture in many school communities for years.
The affected schools include MS 104 Simon Baruch, Wagner Middle School, Yorkville East Middle School, The Computer School, Salk School of Science, Lab Middle School, the ASL School, the Ella Baker School, and School of the Future. In their place, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) has assigned new providers. One of them is the Imogen Foundation, which is taking over at least four schools, and NYJTL, a tennis-focused organization, at Wagner.
The switch is part of a citywide re-bidding process in which DYCD reviewed more than 3,700 proposals and awarded 806 school-based contracts across 171 organizations. Every existing provider, including Manhattan Youth, had to reapply. The agency announced the results on May 14, describing the round as the largest expansion of the city’s after-school system (a $760 million annual investment) in its 20-year history.
For the schools losing Manhattan Youth, the change means new staff, new programming, and a new organizational culture arriving in September. The coaches, instructors, and program leaders who have built relationships with students and families over the years won’t automatically be coming back. The programs themselves will continue in the same school buildings, with the same general hours and no cost to families.
Parents Push Back on the Decision
Parents in several affected schools are pushing back hard. A petition at Change.org addressed to Mayor Mamdani and DYCD, organized by PTA presidents from MS 104, Wagner, Yorkville East, The Computer School, Salk, and others, has gathered a little over 4,000 signatures in a few days.
The letter states that principals were directed to rank providers in a closed-door process and instructed not to discuss it with PTA leadership, School Leadership Teams, or families. It also alleges that Manhattan Youth was ranked higher than some of the providers ultimately selected, but DYCD has not publicly responded to those allegations.
Concerns About New Providers
Parents say their concerns go beyond simply losing Manhattan Youth. At schools including MS 104, Salk, and the ASL School, some families are worried about the incoming providers’ experience level and whether longtime enrichment partnerships and sports programs will continue as they have.
At Wagner Middle School, parents have also questioned whether NYJTL, an organization best known for tennis programming, is prepared to run a large middle school after-school program with the same range of activities families are used to.
Shared Buildings, Separate Programs
Another concern is how the changes could affect schools that currently share resources. The Anderson School, Dual-Language Middle School, and The Computer School all operate in the same building and have historically shared some after-school activities and sports teams. Under the new setup, each school is expected to have a different provider.
Manhattan Youth will continue operating in the schools where it retained contracts, along with programs at its Warren Street community center.
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