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Exclusive | Post investigation reveals NYC DOE has spent $5B-plus on rent to private landlords — including buildings with no commercial value

Nypost · · 1623 words · By Mary K Jacob
Public education funding models Government spending accountability
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/24/real-estate/nyc-doe-has-spent-5b-on-rent-to-privat…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 60% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

24 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 14
info Single Source 6
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
check_circle Corroborated 1
info
“The New York City Department of Education has wasted over a staggering $5 billion in taxpayer funds on rent to private landlords — often paying above-market prices to house flailing schools, a Post investigation found.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim cites 'a Post investigation' regarding spending over $5 billion on rent to private landlords. While the web search results confirm that The Post has reported on significant spending on empty/underutilized preschool buildings (e.g., 'Empty NYC preschools cost taxpayers nearly $100M in...'), none of the provided evidence confirms the specific figure of '$5 billion' or the comprehensive scope described in the claim across multiple independent sources. The evidence points to large spending issues but does not corroborate the specific $5 billion figure.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE; also known as New York City Public Schools) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The de…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Department_of_Ed…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Otis–Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), published by the successor of Harcourt Assessment—Pearson Education, Inc., a subsidiary of Pearson PLC—is according to the publisher, a test of abstract th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis–Lennon_School_Ability_Tes…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Melissa Aviles-Ramos is an American educator who served as the 32nd New York City Schools Chancellor. She previously served as Deputy Chancellor for family and community engagement and external affair…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Aviles-Ramos
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“fiscal data from 2024 shows that the DOE was on the hook for $235.6 million that year alone in lease payments across its 132 active leases, according to council data.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The claim specifies a precise figure ($235.6 million) for 2024 lease payments across 132 leases based on 'council data.' The evidence provided for this claim consists only of general web search results about auto leases, placeholder names, and educational law (Plyler v. Doe), none of which contain the specific financial data for the NYC DOE's 2024 lease payments.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of English-language placeholder names for people. A variety of such placeholder names are used in the English language, some with respect to the average unnamed person, and some with sp…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English-language_place…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of murdered American children that details notable murders among thousands of cases of subjects who were or are believed to have been under the age of 18 upon their deaths. Cases listed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_murdered_American_chil…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982), is a landmark decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States struck down both a state statute denying funding for education of undocumented immigrant chil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyler_v._Doe
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“The Post revealed this week how the DOE has spent over $100m in rent over on 3K centers that are still empty — and as student test scores still lag.”
CORROBORATED
The claim states the DOE spent over $100 million on rent for empty centers. The web search results corroborate this general finding, citing that 'New York City has spent nearly $100 million renting unused preschool buildings' and that 'Empty NYC preschools cost taxpayers nearly $100M in rent alone...' This corroboration comes from multiple search snippets referencing The Post's reporting on this topic.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Doe, DoE, or DOE may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doe
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — John Doe (male) or Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intent…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Doe
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Samuel Kanyon Doe (6 May 1951 – 9 September 1990) was a Liberian politician and military officer who served as the 21st President of Liberia from 1986 until his execution in 1990. He ruled Liberia as …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Doe
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“At least one school building in The Bronx had a market value of zero in 1983 — when the city first took the lease — yet the DOE has since spent $52.16 million on that site alone. The building is now worth $29 million.”
SINGLE SOURCE
This claim provides highly specific financial and historical details regarding a single building in The Bronx (zero value in 1983, $52.16 million spent, now $29 million). The evidence provided for this claim consists only of general Wikipedia entries about The Bronx, which do not contain these specific financial figures or historical lease details. Therefore, the claim cannot be corroborated by the provided evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gilgo Beach serial killings were a series of murders on Long Island, New York, between 1993 and 2010. The case gained national attention in late 2010 and 2011, when police searching for missing wo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgo_Beach_serial_killings
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE; also known as New York City Public Schools) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The de…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Department_of_Ed…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — West Bronx Academy for the Future is a small school located within Roosevelt Educational Campus, across the street from Fordham University.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bronx_Academy_for_the_Fut…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“In the Woodhaven neighborhood of Queens, records show the DOE has paid roughly $3.2 million a year over the last two decades to lease the building at 45-10 94th St., home to Voyages Preparatory High School, Pan American High School and Civic Leadership Academy.”
SINGLE SOURCE
This claim provides specific financial data ($3.2 million annually over two decades) for a specific address in Woodhaven, Queens. The evidence provided for this claim consists only of general Wikipedia entries about Queens and public schools, none of which contain the specific financial or historical lease details for 45-10 94th St. Therefore, the claim cannot be corroborated by the provided evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is adjacent to Corona to the north, Rego Park and Glendale to the west, Forest Park to the south, Ke…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Hills,_Queens
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of public elementary schools in New York City. They are typically referred to as "PS number" (e.g., "PS 46", that is, "Public School 46"). Many PS numbers are ambiguous, being used by m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_elementary_scho…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Queens Metropolitan High School (QMHS) is a public high school in Forest Hills in Queens, New York. It is generally referred to simply as "QMHS," "Metro", or just "'Queens Metro" by the students. It i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens_Metropolitan_High_Schoo…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“The contract [for 45-10 94th St.] runs through 2036, totals $96 million — and the city has already spent $48.07 million of it.”
SINGLE SOURCE
This claim provides specific financial details ($96 million total, $48.07 million spent) for the lease at 45-10 94th St. The evidence provided for this claim consists only of general web search results about real estate and unrelated topics, none of which contain the specific lease terms or expenditure figures mentioned. Therefore, the claim cannot be corroborated by the provided evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ruth B. - Dandelions (Lyrics) 7clouds • 45 млн просмотров 3:49.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgTMeICssXY
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web search NEUTRAL — See home details for 14319 E 96th St and find similar homes for sale now in Kansas City, MO on Trulia.The backyard has also been equipped with a French Drain system for drainage around the home. The l…
https://www.trulia.com/home/14319-e-96th-st-kansas-city-mo-6…
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web search NEUTRAL — Zillow has 0 homes for sale. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place.
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/
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“When the lease was signed in 2006, the property [at 45-10 94th St.] was worth an estimated $9.7 to $10 million, according to commercial real estate broker Adelaide Polsinelli of Compass. Today, it is valued at $28 to $30 million — nearly triple what the city could have paid to own it outright at the outset.”
SINGLE SOURCE
This claim provides specific comparative valuation data ($9.7 to $10 million in 2006 vs. $28 to $30 million today) for the property at 45-10 94th St., citing an expert. The evidence provided for this claim consists only of general web search results about real estate and unrelated topics, none of which confirm these specific valuation figures or the expert's testimony.
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web search NEUTRAL — The Q2-25 numbers for $10 million and over home sales in Dubai beat the $1.9 billion recorded in Q1-25 and is a strong 63% lift on the Q2-2024 transactions. The number of $10 million+ sales during Q2 …
https://gulfnews.com/business/property/dubai-property-sets-n…
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web search NEUTRAL — He won the bid when a deal between the initial winner and the Port Authority fell through, and he signed the lease on July 24, 2001.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Silverstein
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today published over 3 million additional pages responsive to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on November 19, 20…
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-publishes-…
info
“At 30-20 Thomson Ave. in Queens, a sprawling facility housing the High School of Applied Communication, the DOE has spent $53.96 million and counting under a lease that runs through 2029.”
SINGLE SOURCE
This claim provides specific financial data ($53.96 million spent, lease through 2029) for a facility at 30-20 Thomson Ave. The evidence provided for this claim consists only of general web search results about global medicine outlook and unrelated topics, none of which contain the specific financial or lease details for this address.
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web search NEUTRAL — This report from the IQVIA Institute quantifies the impact of various dynamics in the global use of medicines and examines spending and usage in 2024 and the outlook to 2029, globally and for specific…
https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports-a…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mary and Alice had a falling out.Matt might have come top of the class in Math last year.To avoid running out of ink. You should do an internship. Ответ: 1. Mary and Alice had a falling...
https://www.euroki.org/koza/task-nº-complete-the-second-sent…
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web search NEUTRAL — 1:30:54. Emmanuelle Sexual spells 2004.Sex, Lies and Politics 1997. 24,5 тыс просмотров. Видео с возрастным ограничением.
https://vk.com/video217383363_456239178
help
“In 2004, when the contract [at 30-20 Thomson Ave.] started, the property was worth $95 to $97 million, according to Polsinelli. It now fetches an estimated $125 to $131 million. By the time the contract ends, they will have spent over $65 million — until its renewal.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
The evidence gathering process returned no relevant results for this claim, as indicated by the provided evidence block.
help
“At 26 Broadway in Lower Manhattan — the ornate Standard Oil Building, now home to several DOE-affiliated schools including the Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women — the city paid $74.21 million in rent between 2009 and 2019 alone, and is currently in renewal.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
The evidence gathering process returned no relevant results for this claim, as indicated by the provided evidence block.
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“The building [at 26 Broadway] was valued between $225 and $230 million when that lease began. Today it is worth an estimated $300 to $308 million, according to Polsinelli.”
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“At 275 Harlem River Park Bridge in The Bronx, the site was a railroad track when the city signed its lease in 1983. But the property is now estimated at $29 to $30 million, value that has accrued entirely to the landlord over 40 years of city-funded occupancy.”
PENDING
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“The schools there [275 Harlem River Park Bridge], which became PS 274/the New American Academy, ran under a lease that ended in 2023 at a total cost of $52.16 million.”
PENDING
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“Jonas Bronck Academy in The Bronx: a lease running from 2013 through 2029 has cost $26.4 million to date.”
PENDING
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“21-16 44 Rd. in Long Island City, home to Information Technology High School and the John F. Kennedy Jr. School: a lease running from 2003 through 2033 — with $60.47 million spent thus far and the contract costing $72.49 million overall.”
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“EBC High School for Public Service at 1155 DeKalb Ave. in Brooklyn: a 30-year contract from 2013 to 2043 for $49 million, with $13 million spent thus far.”
PENDING
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“143-04 101st Ave. in Queens, leased as a new ACS space: a $13 million contract, despite the property being worth only $7 to $8 million today.”
PENDING
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“34-12 36th Ave. in Astoria, used as an alternative high school: a $22.8 million contract.”
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“A lease held by the Abyssinian Cultural Building Corporation in Harlem: a $38 million lease, with $18.52 million spent thus far, under a contract running from 2004 to 2034.”
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“523 Cedar Hill in Far Rockaway: leased for administrative space and parking through a $15.32 million contract deal.”
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“Brooklyn College Academy, leased for 15 years, with $21.6 million spent between 2012 and 2016.”
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“New York City public school students scored an average of 473 on the math portion of the SAT last year — the lowest average in at least seven years, and a full 71 points below the rest of New York State.”
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“Reading and writing scores held flat at 482, but the rest of the state and the country still outpaced the city by wide margins.”
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“The Post has also learned that the city has spent nearly $100 million in taxpayer funds renting more than two dozen buildings intended to house preschools — facilities that have never opened, in some cases sitting empty for nearly five years.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.