Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani officially announced Kamar Samuels as the next chancellor of NYC Public Schools at a press conference Wednesday at Charles A. Dana Discovery Center in Central Park.

“I am proud today to appoint Kamar Samuels as New York's next school's chancellor because this moment demands a new generation of leadership that both understands our school system and has a transformative vision on how to remake. Kamar is that leader,” Mamdani said.

Samuels is the current superintendent in Manhattan's District 3.

He will take over the nation's largest public school system serving over 900,000 students.

"We congratulate Kamar Samuels on being named the next Chancellor of New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). As a teacher, principal, and superintendent in our city’s schools, Samuels brings deep experience and expertise, including implementing initiatives like NYC Reads and working to integrate schools.

We look forward to working with the incoming Chancellor to strengthen existing initiatives like NYC Reads and undertake new efforts to address systemic challenges facing our public schools. We urge the incoming administration to pursue an education agenda that centers equity and the needs of students who are too often overlooked."

Samuels will replace Melissa Aviles-Ramos, NYC Public Schools’ current chancellor.

The total budget for the 2025-2026 school year is $42.8 billion.