The New York City Education Department (DOE) budget is in a budget crisis, with a budget of $36.9 billion, an average of $43,720 per student, compared to $10,000 per student for the city in 1997. The DOE budget now stands at $36 billion, supporting over 1,800 schools with only 844,000 students. This is a significant increase from when Mayor Mike Bloomberg closed low-performing high schools to create small learning communities, which increased costs significantly. The student population is shrinking, and the city should consider merging smaller schools into smaller buildings to accommodate the shrinking student population. The Department of Education's budget is also being criticized for throwing so much money into a shrinking agency. Readers also suggest that Mayor Mamdani should have to stop giving criminal summonses to e-bike riders and register them.