NEW YORK, N.Y. (July 13, 2022) — Public education advocacy organization Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement calling on Mayor Eric Adams to restore the budget cuts to New York City’s public schools:
“The power is in Mayor Adams’ hands to restore the unnecessary cuts that New York City’s budget made to public schools last month, and we call on him to act with urgency to do so,” said Jasmine Gripper, Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education.
“While the Mayor and City Council should never have cut funding to schools in the first place, fortunately there are actions that the Mayor can immediately take to right this wrong, and restore full funding to public schools. According to the NYC Comptroller and Independent Budget Office, the city has plenty of money available, including unspent federal stimulus dollars, as well as funding left over from last year’s budget from the Department of Education. The Mayor has the authority to allocate these existing funds to restore the school cuts.
“New York City also has a surplus that could have been used to maintain school budgets, thereby avoiding causing harm to children, instead of being stashed away in reserve. With large increases of federal and state funding and revenues at historic highs, the suggestion that there is not enough money for public schools at this time bears little scrutiny. The City Council has recognized the urgency to right this wrong. Now, New York’s students and families are depending on Mayor Adams to act to make it happen.
“When the pandemic began, a policy was put in place to hold schools harmless regardless of enrollment declines. The pandemic is still with us — as are all its extra educational costs, such as reducing class sizes, safety protocols, cleaning and sanitation. Many students are still struggling academically, emotionally and socially due to the disruptions and trauma, especially Black, Brown and low-income children. These are the children who will pay the greatest price for Mayor Adam’s reckless actions if he does not restore these cuts. As new variants continue to arise, schools must have the resources needed in order to continue educating students in safe and supportive classrooms.
“Not only does Mayor Adams have the power to restore the school cuts, but it is imperative that he does so quickly. Principals and school leaders are planning for the upcoming school year now. The onus is on the Mayor to ensure they can make decisions on behalf of their students and families without disruption. There is no time to wait. We need Mayor Adams to act with urgency and restore the school cuts immediately.”