To: The New York State House, The New York State Senate, and Governor Andrew Cuomo
Foundation Aid: Reform It & Fund It
Keep the NYS Foundation Aid formula (This is statutory language in place since 2007) and improve it with: 1) A more equitable distribution of funds, 2) Adequacy of funds within the formula to be measured against the school districts’ actual costs, 3) A phase-in plan over the next few years, and 4) A sound financial plan for the state to sustain State Aid to school districts.
Why is this important?
$1.4 billion is necessary for NYS school districts just to open the doors next year, yet the Executive Budget provides just $378 million for this purpose. This would underfund even a “roll-over” budget.
Further concern arises from the Governor’s proposals to:
- Repeal the Foundation Aid formula, thus erasing any history of the funding that has been lost by school districts, and
- Freeze Foundation Aid at 2017-18 levels, even though costs continue to rise
This means that school districts would have no new funding coming in, and would not have the ability to get it in future years, even as costs and expectations escalate.