SERINO PUSHES FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR SMALL CITY SCHOOLS

SERINO PUSHES FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR SMALL CITY SCHOOLS

ALBANY, NY—Senator Sue Serino (R, C, I—Hyde Park) today joined her colleagues at a press conference in Albany to push for the passage of a bill she co-sponsors to adequately fund New York’s small city schools.

“Every student deserves the chance to succeed. While money isn’t the answer to all of the problems that plague some of our state’s schools, the small city schools in our community are faced with a unique set of challenges that often prevent them from providing the quality education necessary to help their students excel,” said Senator Serino.

The bill (S. 4988B) aims would amend the education law to add small city successful schools aid to be used for things like class size reduction, academic intervention services, programs to prevent student dropouts, parent involvement programs, youth incarceration services, extended programming and psycho-social testing. It would also amend computation of foundation aid to add a small city poverty concentration count and lower the income wealth index to provide small city schools with an increase in funding.
 
“With so much focus on the revitalization of our small cities like Beacon and Poughkeepsie, we cannot forget to lay the foundation we need to see that revitalization become a reality. That means investing in the children who are educated there,” Serino continued. “The programs that these funds are earmarked for work, they empower our students and if utilized effectively, they can change lives. I urge my colleagues in both houses to invest in our students and pass this legislation.”

The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Joe Griffo and in the Assembly by Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi.

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