Senator Palumbo Fights to Restore State Education Aid for NY Schools

          Senator Anthony Palumbo (R,C-New Suffolk) this week joined his Senate Republican colleagues to call for the restoration of state school aid to districts throughout the state that are facing devastating cuts and unveil a legislative package aimed at keeping education a priority for state government.

            “Schools throughout the 1st Senate District are facing over $20 million in state education cuts in the Governor’s proposed budget. These cuts, combined with the elimination of the “hold harmless” provision, represents a radical change in how the State funds local school districts,” said Senator Palumbo. “If unaltered, the Governor’s proposal will have a devastating impact on schools, students and communities and will place additional burdens on Long Island homeowners, who already pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation.”

            Senator Palumbo noted that the Governor’s elimination of the “hold harmless” provision, which provides critical stability to local school districts, is a glaring example of Albany’s misplaced priorities. Her $233 billion budget proposal siphons state aid away from local schools while dedicating an additional $2.4 billion in taxpayer dollars earmarked for migrants, bringing the total spending on those entering the country illegally to $4.3 billion over the last two years.

            “It is imperative for both chambers in the State Legislature to restore funding to our schools and keep the ‘hold harmless’ provision in this year’s finalized state budget,” said Senator Palumbo. “New York State must maintain its educational commitments to students and provide them with a world-class education that is second to none. Their future, and ours, depends on the investments that we make in education today.”

            In addition to fighting for more state school aid funding, the Senate Republican’s legislative package includes proposals that will keep our students safe and improve educational outcomes in schools throughout the state by:

· Reversing misguided changes in the education formula proposed in the Executive Budget that will take resources away from our local schools; and

· Closing the pandemic learning loss gap by ensuring unspent federal emergency relief aid supports academic recovery programs, expands state grant funding, creates an office in the State Education Department to track outcomes of such programs and focuses on future aid increases for early education to ensure students are provided a solid foundation for future academic challenges; and

· Prohibiting the housing of migrants in K-12 schools or on school grounds throughout the state (S.7391); and

· Committing greater resources for school building security by creating a school resource officer program to permit the employment of retired law enforcement officers and provide grants to school districts and non-public schools. (S.4985).

These legislative proposals are the first in a series of initiatives that will be introduced by the Senate Republican Conference this session to enhance and improve New York’s commitment to education.

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