The Assembly’s proposed budget was released yesterday, and I’m proud that several priorities I fought for were included.
The biggest victory for our district was the rejection of the Governor’s education funding plan, which would have meant less money for our schools.
Reinstating the ‘hold harmless’ provision and rejecting the proposed inflationary factor changes to ensure that our school districts do not receive less Foundation Aid than they did the prior year was my top priority. After three years of historic investments in state funding for our school districts, we should not settle for anything less for our children’s education.
Our proposal increases Foundation Aid by $818.6 million over the Governor’s proposal, a $1.3 billion increase over the 2023-24 school year.
Additionally, the Assembly proposal would provide $125 million towards universal prekindergarten and allocate an additional $120 million to ensure every student gets free school meals.
 As we continue budget negotiations in Albany, I’m optimistic that the final budget will support our schools and ensure that families have the resources they need to thrive.”
Before patting yourself on the back for a job well done, you should familiarize yourself with both scenarios provided by the PW BOE. Both involve cuts and NYS you should re-evaluate any and all unfunded mandates that school districts must fund.
While we are talking about the budget, can you defend $2B for illegals while legal citizens are struggling to pay their bills?