ALBANY, N.Y. (May 22, 2026) — In response to the agreement announced on the New York State FY2027 budget, the public education advocacy organization Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement from Marina Marcou-O’Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, Co-Executive Directors:
“We are encouraged that the enacted budget not only includes funding for public education beyond the Governor’s proposal, but finally recognizes the needs of some of New York’s most vulnerable students. The inclusion in the Foundation Aid formula of the first-ever weights for students experiencing homelessness or in foster care, as well as the increase in the weight for English Language Learners, represent a major victory for families and advocates, and will help ensure that districts serving those students get the resources they need to better support them.
“By including these updates in the FY 2027 budget, New York State is acknowledging how students’ needs have shifted since the Foundation Aid school funding formula was created nearly two decades ago, and moving us one step closer to truly equitable public education system. Looking ahead, we are committed to securing additional comprehensive updates to the formula so that public schools have the state resources needed to meet students’ growing needs.
“Additionally, the issue of mayoral control in New York City public schools should not have been taken up as part of the budget negotiations at all. Nevertheless, the two-year extension, which is shorter than what the Governor proposed, keeps the door open for a conversation about the future of school governance, while establishing a realistic timeline for that process to take place. While we would have preferred not to miss this moment to begin the transformation that is needed, it was parents and advocates who successfully pushed back against a longer extension, insisting on preserving the possibility for meaningful changes in the near future. Over the next two years, we look forward to working with the communities, families, the mayor, and legislators to build toward that future.”