Senate Plans Hearing To Review Alternative Funding For Education [Spectrum News]

New York schools traditionally have had two main funding sources: Revenue from property taxes and direct aid from the state.

Senate lawmakers next week at a hearing plan to review how a different model could be used.

The hearing, planned for Wednesday in Albany, will be led by Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Shelley Mayer and Senate Budget and Revenues Chairman Brian Benjamin. Scheduled to testify are experts on education funding alternatives, lawmakers said.

It is imperative that New York hear from national experts about alternative methods of financing public education,” Mayer said. “This hearing will provide an essential opportunity to learn from researchers about how other states generate revenue, and the benefits and drawbacks of alternative financing systems, so we can begin to explore potential financing measures we can adopt in New York that are both equitable and stable for our education system.”

Mayer called it a “first step in the process” of reviewing alternative ways of raising revenue for public schools in the state.