Senator Gallivan Introduces Legislation to Repeal the Gap Elimination Adjustment, or GEA

Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma) has introduced legislation that would abolish the Gap Elimination Adjustment imposed on public schools in New York in 2010.  The bill (S.2743) would eliminate the GEA starting in 2015-16 and provide school districts the full amount of education aid based on existing budget funding formulas. 

“The GEA has had a devastating impact on school districts across New York State, denying them critical education funding and putting an unfair burden on local taxpayers.  We have been successful in reducing the GEA in recent years, but now it’s time to eliminate it once and for all,” Gallivan said.

The Gap Elimination Adjustment was introduced in 2010 by then governor David Paterson as a way to help close the state’s $10 billion budget deficit, reducing education aid to all school districts based on a set formula.  Since 2010, public schools across the state have lost more than $9.5 billion in funding. 

In the 2014-15 school year, public schools in Erie County lost a total of $63,559,335; Wyoming County schools lost $4,356,915; Livingston County schools lost $4,963,310; and Monroe County schools lost $56,493,815.  Individual schools district information is available at:  http://publications.budget.ny.gov/budgetFP/2014-15SchoolAidRuns.pdf

“This reduction in education funding has forced districts to raise taxes, cut classroom staff and eliminate student programs, jeopardizing the quality education every New York child deserves,” Gallivan said.

In recent years, Senate Republicans have voted to increase aid to education in order to counter the negative impacts of the GEA and to ensure funds were distributed fairly and equitably to all regions of the state.

Senator Gallivan shared his concerns in a letter to Governor Cuomo, who has included a $1.1 billion increase in education aid in his 2015-16 budget proposal.  Gallivan is urging the governor to use that money to eliminate the GEA. 

Gallivan’s bill corresponds with A.2271, introduced by Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake).

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