While Gov. Hochul’s proposed changes to Foundation Aid would drive bigger-than-expected increases to many high need school districts, NYC schools would get $400 million less
ALBANY, N.Y. (January 21, 2025) — In response to Governor Hochul’s executive budget announcement, the public education advocacy organization Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement:
“In her addresses today and last week, Governor Hochul indicated her willingness to support policy changes that can make the lives of families and children a little better, including some positive proposals, such as universal school meals and expanding the child tax credit.
“We need to invest in measures in the state budget that will transform people’s lives, not just make them a little bit better,” said Marina Marcou-O’Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education. “By the Governor’s own acknowledgement, New York’s tax revenues and economy are by all metrics thriving, and there is no excuse. But the impact of the changes she is proposing, and how they’re enacted, matters tremendously. Instead of taking a bold stance to protect New Yorkers from any potential threat from the new administration in DC, the Governor chose to do very little, prompting New Yorkers to address their issues to the feds.
Foundation Aid
“The Governor’s proposed changes to Foundation Aid have mixed impact on different school districts. Shifting the poverty measures to those that more accurately capture students’ realities is one we welcome, though that change cannot be made in a vacuum. If Governor Hochul’s changes are enacted, New York City schools will see their expected Foundation Aid increase cut almost in half, a loss that is unacceptable and is sure to have an impact on students. At the same time, many other high need school districts in other parts of the state would receive a higher-than-expected increase under the Governor’s proposed formula update, a very welcome adjustment. We cannot allow the budget to jeopardize the well being of some students. We must find a way to make changes to the Foundation Aid formula in a way that captures the complex reality of each school district without negatively impacting any district.
Child Care
“Governor Hochul has misread the nature of the child care crisis: solving it simply starts with investments in the workforce to create more access for families. Without investments in the workforce, there will not be enough staff for the centers she wants to build. She will not be able to create a substitute pool without paying our existing educators a living wage. More programs will close and more families will be left out.
“Until the Governor is ready to seriously transform compensation for child care educators, greater access for families and affordability will continue to be out of reach. The enacted budget must include $1.2 billion investment in raising the wages of child care educators.
Revenues
“Extending the Millionaires Tax without asking the ultra wealthy and corporations — those who have profited tremendously since the pandemic — to pay what they owe, will leave the state vulnerable to the inequitable whims of the federal government. We can and should be raising more revenue for the state budget to invest in programs that benefit our communities.
“Offering tax cuts that will make minimal individual difference when spread across the millions of families that would receive them is not going to have the impact needed. That revenue would do more if we invested it in public schools, child care workers, and other community needs.”