In 2009 NYS faced a budget deficit which they decided to close using public school funds. They created the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) to pay for the shortfall, leaving our schools with no options but to make drastic cuts. Now in 2014 Governor Cuomo stated in his victory speech that NYS has a 4 billion dollar surplus. However, our schools are still suffering.
Why is this important?
We started this petition to inform the public that public school funding has been reduced over the past 5 years. Schools across NYS have cut thousands of teachers and hundreds of courses. Many students are forced to sit in study halls instead of having electives that encourage diversity and college preparation. Reading programs have been cut, sports programs have been dissolved and the class of 2015 will have far less than the class of 2009. Please join us to restore the lost funds for our students.
