Senator Young Secures Over $626 Million in Education Funding For Area Schools

ALBANY – Schools in her Senate District will receive a record amount of state funding, according to Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I- 57th District).

“My schools will receive a record investment of $626,605,202 in education aid, which is an increase of more than $43,816,580, or 7.5 percent over last year. The additional state funding will provide children in our community with high-quality, first class educational learning experiences that put them on a path to success,” Senator Young said.

This year’s state budget includes about $1.5 billion in new state education funding, bringing the statewide total assistance for education to nearly $25 billion. The state funding includes $434 million to permanently do away with the gap elimination adjustment (GEA), a fiscal gimmick that gives funding to schools and then takes it away in the same budget year, and allocates about $627 million in new Foundation Aid.

For schools in Senator Young’s district, the state budget restores about $15.3 million in GEA cuts.

Senator Young said that the eradication of the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) coupled with the additional Foundation Aid drove the funding increase for her school districts.

“Universally, teachers, administrators and school boards across my district have resoundingly said that getting rid of the GEA this year was one of their top priorities. The Senate has been the champion for our kids, and now the destructive fiscal gimmick created by downstate lawmakers in 2009-10 has finally come off the books. The additional Foundation Aid that the Senate secured has also helped put many of my districts in line for a hefty funding boost,” said Senator Young.

A complete copy of the Enacted Budget school aid runs will be available at: https://www.budget.ny.gov/.