"that classes of over 20 students are unconstitutional" (295 2 at
11), set forth no acceptable basis to disturb the trial court's
finding.[5] We conclude that plaintiffs' evidence of the advantages
of smaller class sizes supports the inference sufficiently to show a
meaningful correlation between the large classes in City schools
and the outputs to which we soon turn. In sum, the Appellate
Division erred in concluding that there was not "sufficient proof"
(295 2 at 11) that large class sizes negatively affect student
performance in New York City public schools.
Instrumentalities of Learning. The final input is "instrumentalities
of learning," including classroom supplies, textbooks, libraries
and computers. The courts below agreed that the textbook supply
is presently adequate and the evidence on classroom supplies is
inconclusive. On the other hand, evidence including the latest 655
Report showed that New York City schools had about nine library
books per student -- half as many as schools statewide excluding
the City, and just under half the number recommended by the
American Library Association. In light of Levittown, the intrastate
inequality does not prove anything in itself, and a library
association might be expected to advocate book purchases at
levels exceeding the constitutional floor. But in holding that the
library books in New York City schools are "inadequate in number
and quality" (187 Misc 2d at 57) the trial court clearly relied on
the abundant testimony on the adequacy of the books for
pedagogical purposes rather than on purely numerical intrastate
comparisons.
The unrebutted testimony indicated that the books in City school
libraries are old and not integrated with contemporary curricula.
The Appellate Division suggested that school libraries simply
consist of "classics" rather than "multicultural" books (295 2 at
12), but the record contains not one scintilla of evidence that
antiquated books in City school libraries are "classics." The
Appellate Division thus gave no factual basis for its disagreement
with the trial court that the library books in New York City schools
are inadequate in quality.
The record concerning computers is similar, establishing that
some exposure to them has become essential and that City
schools not only have about half as many computers per student
as all other New York schools, but also have aging equipment
that, in some cases, simply cannot support presently- available
software. The Appellate Division speculated that old equipment
might be used "for introductory classes" (295 2 at 11), but this
possibility was not even advocated by the State and, like the
"classic" outdated library books, has no record support at all.
While we hesitate to overstate the importance of libraries and