ALBANY, N.Y. (March 16, 2021) — The public education advocacy organization Alliance for Quality Education released the following analysis and reaction to the New York State State Senate and Assembly 2021-22 budget proposals:
“The budget proposals put forward by the New York State Senate and Assembly reaffirm the state’s commitment to prioritize funding for our children and their schools. Both houses add over $1 billion to the state’s Foundation Aid formula and make a three year commitment to fully fund the state’s most equitable school funding formula. This funding would be in addition to the expected federal aid boost for public schools as part of the latest stimulus package. We are excited to see this bold initiative to increase state aid to education. If these proposals are reflected in the enacted budget, it would represent a major step in the right direction that would set New York’s pre-K-12 education system on a road to build back better. We commend the Senate Majority Leader Andrea Steward-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and their respective conferences for putting forward proposals that largely address this moment of crisis our schools are currently facing,” said Jasmine Gripper, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education.
Now, we face the challenge of ensuring that these proposals remain robust and transformative in the final budget. We urge Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Heastie to ensure every dollar of revenue raised and their proposed investments in education are included in the final budget. The fight for revenue ensures our state and our schools do not face a fiscal cliff once the federal dollars are gone.
Click the image above to download a complete analysis of the education proposals put forward by the Executive, Assembly and Senate for the 2021-22 state budget.
“The Assembly and Senate proposals should set the floor for state budget negotiations going forward. In spite of the bold investments in K-12 education, there are still areas of each budget proposal that fall short of what children and families need. The Senate proposal does not include a plan to spend federal child care funds, and the Assembly’s budget does not include a guarantee for free internet for students participating in remote learning. The enacted budget must include the strongest proposals from each one house,” said Gripper.
“New York’s students, families and educators are depending on Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie to keep the promises made in the one house budget proposals. With a veto proof majority in both the Assembly and Senate, it’s time to assert the bold visions of the one house proposals, and fight for these investments in education to become a reality in the 2021-22 enacted budget.”