When PS 30, a United Community School in Harlem, found out in early October that it was going to lose $285,000 due to low enrollment, it decided to take the initiative and find 30 more students.

By the end of October, PS 30 had 76 new students and a budget increase of $85,000.

Throughout the pandemic, schools were held harmless when actual enrollment in the fall was lower than projected. But this year, the Adams administration reverted to the prior policy of cutting school budgets midyear if enrollment did not meet projections.

PS 30 is in East Harlem, a neighborhood with the highest concentration of charter schools in New York City. It shares a building with a Success Academy Charter school. PS 30 Community School Director Ronald Thomas said his school loses students at a high rate to nearby charters with their flashy marketing campaigns, “but a lot of families come back.”

School staff are proud of the wraparound services the school provides to meet the needs of students and their families, including dentistry and vision programs, after-school and morning care, food pantries, clothing drives and parent engagement events like book giveaways and cultural festivals.

When a budget consultant hired by the school gave an early warning about the looming funding loss, staff reasoned they should be able to attract 30 new students if they made families aware of the school’s services. Spearheaded by Principal Leonna Austin, the school launched the “30 by the 30th” campaign.

The team started by speaking with families outside nearby charter schools, spurring five students to enroll.

Then, an asylum-seeking family from a shelter about five miles away enrolled their child at PS 30. “We said, ‘Hey, you’re coming from very far’,” said Thomas. The mother, he said, told him that the commute seemed worth it after she heard about “all the great programming” at PS 30.

Inspired by her story, the school started reaching out to nearby shelters housing newcomer families. After PS 30 staff assured shelter social workers that the school would prioritize busing and other support for the families, the social workers relayed the message to their residents, who began enrolling their children.

“We’ve welcomed them with open arms,” said UFT Chapter Leader Rudine Wright of the new families. The school, she said, has helped parents with clothing drives, translation assistance and other support.

One such parent, Yessica Covar, enrolled her two children — a 1st-grade girl and a 4th-grade boy — at PS 30 in October after arriving in New York City from Venezuela.

“As soon as you enter the building, you’re greeted with a smile,” said Covar in Spanish through an interpreter. “I’m very grateful for the support from the teachers. My children are progressing, and they love to come to school.”

Now that PS 30 has surpassed its enrollment goal and earned $85,000 in additional funding, how will it use the money?

“More Spanish-speaking paras and more curricula in Spanish,” said Principal Austin.