Additional Education Aid for Pre-kindergarten Advances in Senate

Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced that legislation she introduced in the Senate, S7190, to provide additional aid to the Yonkers City School District, passed this week out of the Local Government Committee. The Yonkers City School District has a fully implemented Universal Pre-kindergarten Program in its schools that has served as a model for other districts and has had a significant positive impact on improving student performance in the region. This bill will provide $4.8 million in additional aid to the District in support of their commitment to serving the needs of its pre-kindergarten population. In the Assembly, this legislation has been introduced by Assemblyman Mike Spano and has been referred to the Education Committee.

“I am pleased to announce that this legislation, which I introduced at the request of the Yonkers Schools Superintendent, is one step closer to passage in the Senate, furthering our goal of providing students with a strong foundation for educational success from the start," said Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Chair of the Senate Local Government Committee. "This funding represents additional resources that will benefit our education system.”

The additional aid is equivalent to the District's 2009-2010 Universal Prekindergarten enrollment multiplied by the difference between the District's selected Foundation Aid per pupil and the District's Universal Pre-kindergarten Grant per pupil. Senate bill S7190 is now awaiting consideration in the Senate Finance Committee. Once approved in the Finance Committee, the Bill will advance to the Senate floor for a full vote.