Senator Larkin Announces $30.1 Million Increase In School Aid For Orange & Ulster County Schools In 2007-08 State Budget

Senator Bill Larkin (R-C, Cornwall-on-Hudson) today announced that the 2007-08 state budget contains a $30.1 Million increase over 2006-07 for Orange and Ulster County schools in the 39th Senate District. The budget increases school aid across the state by $1.8 billion, the largest increase in the history of New York.

"From the first week of this legislative session in January, I held the position that I wouldn’t agree to a state budget that didn’t include property tax breaks for homeowners or the fair distribution of school aid for our local schools," said Senator Larkin. "The Governor’s plan did neither. However, I’m proud to announce that the Senate’s fight to give overburdened property taxpayers about double the rebate they received last year was successful. We were also able to ensure an equitable distribution of school aid in the final budget."

Attached, is a chart outlining the school aid increases for our local districts:

Orange County School Districts       Increase over 2006-07           % Increase

Cornwall                                                  $1.8 M                                 16.9%

Chester                                                   $460,972                              11.1%

Goshen                                                   $1.3 M                                  12.7%

Highland Falls                                          $1 M                                     16.2%

Kiryas Joel                                              $559,842                               17.6%

Monroe Woodbury                                   $2.6 M                                  7.5%

Newburgh                                                 $12.8 M                                13%

Pine Bush                                                $2.8 M                                  6.6%

Valley-Montgomery                                  $3.7 M                                  14.1%

Washingtonville                                        $1.5 M                                  6.1%

Ulster County School Districts         Increase over 2006-07           % Increase

Highland                                                $1.2 M                                  12.7%

Kingston                                                $4.6 M                                  10.4%

Marlboro                                                $928,026                               13.9%

Wallkill                                                  $2.6 M                                  12%