Senator Michelle Hinchey Delivers Historic School Aid and Tax Relief to Montgomery and Schenectady County Schools

April 22, 2021

Senator Hinchey meets with teachers and administrative leaders at Schalmont High School on Wednesday, April 21, to discuss school funding secured through the FY 2022 budget, tour a new building project and COVID in-person learning set-up.

ALBANY, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey (SD-46) today announced historic investments in state-funded School Aid for local public schools serving Montgomery and Schenectady Counties, which she secured in the FY 2022 State Budget. This landmark funding will reduce educational gaps, increase programming opportunities for students, and allow several local school districts to adopt budgets with a zero percent tax levy, taking the pressure off of overburdened property owners.

“Our successful fight to fund our schools this year was about providing students and teachers with the tools they need to be successful while delivering much-needed tax relief for homeowners who are struggling because of our over-reliance on property taxes to fund education,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “I’m proud to have secured record levels of state funding for our Schenectady and Montgomery County schools to ensure that every child, no matter where they live or their family’s financial means, has access to a quality public education that will empower them for the future. We want our communities to be places where people can afford to live and raise a family and I will always champion equitable and robust state support to make that a reality.”

The breakdown of this year’s increase in state-funded School Aid for school districts serving Montgomery and Schenectady County communities located in the 46th Senate District is as follows:

SCHOOL AID FOR DISTRICTS SERVING MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Greater Amsterdam School District: $57,120,156 (14.70% increase)
Broadalbin-Perth Central School District: $19,472,467 (11.20% increase)
Fonda-Fultonville Central School District: $18,190,727 (6.00% increase)
Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School District: $16,011,635 (6.50% increase)
Canajoharie Central School District: $15,426,045 (16.70% increase)
Fort Plain Central School District: $15,416,142 (10.40% increase)
Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School District: $7,950,626 (8.80% increase)

SCHOOL AID FOR DISTRICTS SERVING SCHENECTADY COUNTY

Schenectady City School District: $153,309,297 (17.10% increase)
Mohonasen Central School District: $25,354,304 (10.70% increase)
Schalmont Central School District: $15,138,867 (13.10% increase)
Duanesburg Central School District: $8,535,905 (3.50% increase)

The funding Hinchey secured for several local school districts, including for the Schalmont and Canajoharie Central School Districts, will provide substantial financial relief for local taxpayers, enabling a freeze in property taxes for the 2021-22 school year.

“Recognizing that our community has been financially impacted as a result of the pandemic, we could not be more pleased to offer a 0% tax levy budget this year, thanks to the supplemental funding secured by Senator Hinchey through State Aid,” said Dr. Thomas B. Reardon, Superintendent of Schools for the Schalmont Central School District. “We’re thankful for Senator Hinchey's advocacy for equitable public education funding. Such funding ensures we can continue to offer quality academic, social, and emotional programming now and in subsequent years. While COVID certainly was a setback for society at large, it will not affect the long-term student experience thanks to this investment in public education.”

Dr. Nick Fitzgerald, Superintendent of Schools for the Canajoharie Central School District, said, "The Canajoharie CSD would like to thank Senator Hinchey, along with NYS and the Federal Government, for securing funding to school districts during this unprecedented time. The funding will ensure the students will receive the resources needed for programs, initiatives, safety, remediation and social-emotional support so they are successful now and in the future. The funding also helped the district create a budget with no tax impact to the residents. Thank you again for your work and effort during this budget season."

Dr. James Niedermeier, Superintendent of Schools for the Duanesburg Central School District, said, “We are immensely grateful to Senator Hinchey for her work on behalf of the Duanesburg Central School District and for her ongoing commitment to our students and school community. The historic funding in this state budget that Senator Hinchey fought for will help our district support students and their families during these difficult times while maintaining the quality of our academic programs. We look forward to our continued collaboration as we work to strategically plan for the long-term health of our communities.”

Education spending in the FY 2022 enacted budget totals $29.5 billion to school districts--the highest level of state aid ever, which will be used to support the operating costs of school districts statewide. This investment represents an increase of $3.1 billion compared to the 2020-21 school year, including a $1.4 billion Foundation Aid increase.

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