S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2545
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 17, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. SAYEGH, FORREST, SIMON, ZINERMAN, COOK, BRABENEC,
   GIGLIO, LEMONDES, CRUZ, SHIMSKY, BROOK-KRASNY -- Multi-Sponsored by --
   M.  of  A.    LEVENBERG  -- read once and referred to the Committee on
   Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to increasing  foundation
   aid  to  school  districts  located in a high wealth ratio county that
   meet five variables impacting academic success: free or reduced lunch,
   English language  learners,  wealth  ratio,  enrollment,  and  special
   education
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "school aid
 equity act".
   § 2. Section 3602 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 42 to read as follows:
   42.  FOUNDATION  AID  TO  ADDRESS  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  FUNDING INEQUITY.
 COMMENCING WITH AID PAYABLE IN THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX--TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY-SEVEN SCHOOL YEAR, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL INCREASE THE AMOUNT  OF
 FOUNDATION  AID,  AT  A  RATE DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER, FOR SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS THAT ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND CRITERIA APPLY:
   A. A THREE-YEAR AVERAGE FREE AND REDUCED PRICE LUNCH  PERCENT  GREATER
 THAN TWO-THIRDS OR SIXTY-SEVEN PERCENT (0.67);
   B.  AN  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  LEARNER  COUNT  THAT  TOTALS ABOVE THIRTEEN
 PERCENT (0.13) OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT POPULATION;
   C. A COMBINED WEALTH RATIO GREATER THAN SEVEN-TENTHS PERCENT (0.7);
   D. AN INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT OF AT LEAST TWO PERCENT (0.02) SINCE  THE
 TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN--TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN SCHOOL YEAR; AND
   E. A SPECIAL EDUCATION COUNT THAT TOTALS ABOVE EIGHT PERCENT (0.08) OF
 THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT POPULATION.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04263-01-5
 A. 2545                             2
 
              

   NOTHING  IN THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FOUNDATION AID
 TO ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH THIS SUBDIVISION'S CONDITIONS AND CRITE-
 RIA DO NOT APPLY.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.