Senator Ritchie Hosts Educational Summit

Senator Patty Ritchie hosted Senate Education Committee Chair John Flanagan for a two hour discussion with school superintendents, school board members and BOCES officials to talk about education.

Senator Flanagan assured school officials that even though he represents part of Suffolk County, he understands and supports providing additional aid to rural school districts in Central and Northern New York. He told the school officials he understood that school districts in Senator Ritchie and Senator Joseph Griffo's districts have lower property wealth, higher needs, and lower incomes than communities he represents.

"I get it," he told the school officials.

He said he intends to work closely with Senator Ritchie to provide meaningful mandate relief to help reduce costs to school districts. He also promised to look carefully at how the state provides assistance to rural upstate schools and praised Senator Ritchie for her efforts to educate him about the issues affecting schools in St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Oswego Counties.