New York State Budget Boosts School Funding and Education Programs

Speaker Carl Heastie and Education Committee Chair Michael Benedetto recently announced that the New York State Budget will provide significant funding to the General Support for Public Schools (GSPS), including a substantial increase in Foundation Aid.

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Reinstitution of Hold Harmless Provision and Foundation Aid Increase

The SFY 2024-25 budget will reinstate the “Hold Harmless” provision within Foundation Aid, preventing school districts from experiencing cuts in Foundation Aid and allowing them to maintain essential funding levels. Additionally, the inflation factor used to calculate Foundation Aid will increase to 2.8 percent, and the budget approves the unfreezing of Reorganization Incentive Operating Aid to provide increased aid to schools seeking reorganization. These measures aim to modernize classrooms and prioritize the educational needs of students across New York.

Additional Funding and Support

In line with the Assembly's commitment to enhancing educational resources, the budget includes various allocations, such as:

• $2 million for a Foundation Aid study by the State University of New York (SUNY) Rockefeller Institute of Government
• An additional $1.5 million in funding for Schools for the Blind and Deaf (4201 schools)
  $14.3 million to restore funding for Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers
• $10 million for the New York State Museum
• $5 million increase in the Transportation After 4 pm funding cap
• $1 million for the State School Immunization Program
• $750,000 for State-Appointed Monitors
• $500,000 for recommended updates and changes to Holocaust curriculum by the State Education Department (SED)
• $400,000 for Financial Literacy Curriculum

Additionally, ongoing funding of $28 million for the My Brother’s Keeper Programs and critical investments in Adult Career and Continuing Education Services signifies the budget's comprehensive support for various educational initiatives.

Higher Education Planning and Mayoral Control Proposal

The SFY 2024-25 budget introduces requirements for school districts to ensure verification of high school seniors’ parents' completion of financial aid applications. Furthermore, it extends mayoral control of the New York City School District while expanding the Panel for Education Policy (PEP) membership to include one independent voting member.

READ MORE: New York’s $236.8 Billion Budget Focuses on Families and Affordability

Prekindergarten Reading Strategies

The budget also includes a provision requiring the commissioner of Education to provide instructional best practices for prekindergarten to grade three reading instruction by January 1, 2025, underscoring the budget's emphasis on enhancing early literacy education.