Hinchey Locks in Funding to Create New Pre-K Seats, Delivers Unprecedented Investment in SD-41 Schools

May 15, 2023

KINGSTON, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey touted historic levels of school funding secured in this year’s final state budget that will create 803 new pre-kindergarten seats and maintain 2,708 total throughout her Senate District, combined with an 11.9% increase in Foundation Aid for SD-41 schools in Columbia and Greene counties and parts of Ulster and Northern Dutchess.

“Providing a good public education to every New York student is a core function of state government, and I’m proud to have delivered on that promise for our SD-41 schools by securing record investments to expand full-day four-year-old pre-K and a pivotal increase in Foundation Aid,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “This is a huge win for our students, teachers, and taxpayers — it means more money for Hudson Valley classrooms, which helps our kids build the foundational skills they need to succeed throughout their lives while helping districts keep a lid on local school property taxes. Every student in New York deserves a good public education, like the one I had in the Ulster County public school system, and I’ll always stand with parents and teachers in championing transformative investments in our public schools.”

The $419.47 million total Foundation Aid investment for SD-41 schools, an additional $44.6 million above last year, marks the final year of a three-year phase-in promised by Hinchey and her Senate Majority colleagues in 2021, which ensured that every K-12 school district received a minimum year-to-year increase of 3 percent. Due to Hinchey’s advocacy, SD-41 schools will also see a funding increase of $6.9 million in pre-K funding for a total of $17.45 million.

A breakdown of pre-K funding by district is included here:

Columbia County

School District	2023-24 UPK Funding	UPK Seats
Chatham	$226,800	22 NEW UPK Seats
Germantown	$380,000	31 UPK Seats Maintained
Hudson	$538,441	20 NEW UPK Seats
Kinderhook	$541,192	41 NEW UPK Seats
New Lebanon	$108,000	18 UPK Seats Maintained
Northeast	$185,002	20 NEW UPK Seats
Pine Plains	$253,800	27 NEW UPK Seats
Red Hook	$351,000	22 NEW UPK Seats
Copake-Taconic	$302,400	86 UPK Seats Maintained

Dutchess County

School District	2023-24 UPK Funding	UPK Seats
Arlington	$2,668,180	195 NEW UPK Seats
Dover	$529,145	20 NEW UPK Seats
Hyde Park	$1,619,489	23 NEW UPK Seats
Millbrook	$280,800	26 NEW UPK Seats
Northeast	$185,002	20 NEW UPK Seats
Pawling	$345,600	20 NEW UPK Seats
Pine Plains	$253,800	27 NEW UPK Seats
Red Hook	$351,000	22 NEW UPK Seats
Rhinebeck	$318,600	26 NEW UPK Seats
Copake-Taconic	$302,400	86 UPK Seats Maintained

Greene County

School District	2023-24 UPK Funding	UPK Seats
Cairo-Durham	$257,344	43 UPK Seats Maintained
Catskill	$466,349	20 NEW UPK Seats
Coxsackie-Athens	$589,248	50 UPK Seats Maintained
Gilboa-Conesville	$22,500	15 UPK Seats Maintained
Greenville	$282,218	45 UPK Seats Maintained
Hunter-Tannersville	$45,900	21 UPK Seats Maintained
Margaretville	$48,000	9 UPK Seats Maintained
Onteora	$258,032	44 UPK Seats Maintained
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk	$388,657	93 UPK Seats Maintained
Windham-Ashland-Jewett	$108,000	8 UPK Seats Maintained

Ulster County

School District	2023-24 UPK Funding	UPK Seats
Highland	$534,151	47 NEW UPK Seats
Kingston	$2,322,738	76 NEW UPK Seats
Margaretville	$48,000	9 UPK Seats Maintained
Marlboro	$617,441	47 NEW UPK Seats
New Paltz	$469,800	23 NEW UPK Seats
Onteora	$258,032	44 UPK Seats Maintained
Rondout Valley	$960,296	60 NEW UPK Seats
Saugerties	$762,339	50 NEW UPK Seats
Wallkill	$843,182	38 NEW UPK Seats

A breakdown of Foundation Aid totals by school district is included here:

Columbia County

School District	2023-24 Foundation Aid	Year-Over-Year Increase
Chatham	$5,327,012	$155,155 (3.00%)
Germantown	$4,027,375	$117,302 (3.00%)
Hudson	$17,864,260	$520,318 (3.00%)
Kinderhook	$12,188,708	$726,902 (6.34%)
New Lebanon	$2,591,363	$75,476 (3.00%)
Northeast	$4,436,988	$129,232 (3.00%)
Pine Plains	$6,393,733	$186,225 (3.00%)
Red Hook	$11,245,791	$327,547 (3.00%)
Copake-Taconic	$8,216,616	$239,318 (3.00%)

Dutchess County

School District	2023-24 Foundation Aid	Year-Over-Year Increase
Arlington	$59,249,982	$11,469,523 (24.00%)
Dover	$16,212,153	$4,190,663 (34.86%)
Hyde Park	$28,289,651	$5,010,838 (21.53%)
Millbrook	$2,894,654	$263,486 (10.1%)
Northeast	$4,436,988	$129,232 (3.00%)
Pawling	$6,158,710	$1,249,936 (3.00%)
Pine Plains	$6,393,733	$186,225 (3.00%)
Red Hook	$11,245,791	$327,547 (3.00%)
Rhinebeck	$2,196,485	$63,975 (3.00%)
Copake-Taconic	$8,216,616	$239,318 (3.00%)

Greene County

School District	2023-24 Foundation Aid	Year-Over-Year Increase
Cairo-Durham	$11,693,779	$340,595 (3.00%)
Catskill	$11,851,079	$345,177 (3.00%)
Coxsackie-Athens	$7,895,841	$430,290 (5.76%)
Gilboa-Conesville	$2,707,703	$78,865 (3.00%)
Greenville	$9,442,678	$560,330 (6.31%)
Hunter-Tannersville	$1,822,673	$53,087 (3.00%)
Margaretville	$2,630,741	$76,623 (3.00%)
Onteora	$7,817,819	$227,703 (3.00%)
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk	$13,525,786	$1,166,825 (9.44%)
Windham-Ashland-Jewett	$1,172,887	$34,161 (3.00%)

Ulster County

School District	2023-24 Foundation Aid	Year-Over-Year Increase
Highland	$12,684,181	$2,009,700 (18.83%)
Kingston	$64,391,542	$6,979,222 (12.16%)
Margaretville	$2,630,741	$76,623 (3.00%)
Marlboro	$17,020,026	$4,454,839 (35.45%)
New Paltz	$11,120,854	$461,818 (4.33%)
Onteora	$7,817,819	$227,703 (3.00%)
Rondout Valley	$17,619,672	$513,194 (3.00%)
Saugerties	$17,496,772	$940,967 (5.68%)
Wallkill	$24,973,080	$2,398,816 (10.63%)