Governor Pataki’s final budget proposal makes it a perfect dozen – 12 consecutive budgets that shortchange our schools

The Assembly passed a budget resolution that provides a sound investment in our children’s future - increasing school aid by $790.5 million over 2004.

The Assembly and Senate have approved a budget to fund New York schools by an additional $740.4 million this year – the fourth highest increase in state history. The new budget will increase operating aid nearly $120 million, a 1.75 percent minimum increase for every school district in the state.

The Assembly rejected the governor’s legislation and has called on the Senate to meet in public conference committees to negotiate a solution that will provide all of New York’s children with an education that will allow them to compete for the jobs of tomorrow.

The Assembly stands ready to meet in an open forum with the governor and the Senate to reach an agreement on a plan that will provide each and every New York child with a sound, basic education.

The Assembly recently released a plan to help ensure that every school district in the state receives the resources it needs to provide a quality education. It’s also the only plan to meet the mandates set by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity’s court ruling.

The report pointed out that the Assembly approach creates a formula to address the cost of providing a sound basic education; it provides an increase of $6.1 billion in State funding in order to provide all children with the opportunity for a sound basic education to be phased in over a five-year period.

Governor’s missed deadlines mean missed opportunities, The consequences of continued delay are serious.

The Assembly proposes a common sense solution to provide schools with the resources they need to plan ahead for the first time.

Details lacking on plan to comply with CFE decision, budget shortchanges schools $304 million

Provides for a cost of living adjustment to the school aid apportionment payable to each school district; provides that the commissioner of education shall direct preparation of a statewide cost of living index, and the percentage increase in such apportionment shall equal the percentage increase in cost of living for the appropriate area; also takes into account regional differences in population in determining cost of living increases for school districts.

Provides a mechanism to pay school districts a portion of the state aid pursuant to applicable provisions of law where the Aid to Localities Budget bill is passed into law after April 1st in any year in the same amount as was paid pursuant to the budget for the previous year; also provides that where any such amount is decreased, no reduction shall be allowed for amounts paid.

Requires that the percentage of state aid for education (apportionment pursuant to article 73 of the education law) from the general fund be phased in to 35.3% over a period of three years and thereafter maintained at no less than that level.

Requires appropriate maintenance of local effort for all of the fiscally dependent "Big 5 school districts" in order to preclude the replacement of local funds by state aid revenues intended to increase support for education.

Provides that any mandate or requirement promulgated by the commissioner of education shall have no effect unless adequate funding for such mandated program is appropriated out of state revenues to finance the cost of implementing such program by local school districts.

Creates the commission on education funding formula reform; provides the commission shall study, evaluate and make recommendations on distribution of state aid to local school districts; requires the commission to issue a report to the governor, the legislature and the commissioner of education; provides the commission shall continue in existence until March 31, 2007.

Provides for the provision of temporary emergency educational assistance to school districts which fail to provide a sound basic education to the students in such district; provides such assistance shall be in addition to any other state aid provided to the school district; provides the board of regents shall, upon application of a school district, determine eligibility for such assistance; establishes the temporary emergency educational fund.

Provides that in addition to any other authorized state school aid apportionment, high performance aid apportionments shall be available to school districts in which the percentage of graduates receiving regents diplomas in the base year exceeds the state average by 33 percent or more and in which the dropout rate in the year prior to the base year is 50 percent below the state average.

Eliminates the limitations on increases in a group of aids to school districts commencing July 1, 2005 and thereafter under certain circumstances.

Authorizes the creation of a temporary state commission to make recommendations regarding simplification of the current state school aid formula, and to determine which such simplifications would insure more of an equitable distribution of school aid across all regions of the state in order to insure that all pupils receive a quality education; makes an appropriation of $100,000 therefore.