Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and fellow State Senators, Assemblymembers, and Superintendents Rally to Oppose Cuts to Foundation Aid

Long Beach, NY - New York State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, along with colleagues Senator Martins, Senator Rhoads, Senator Weik and Assembly Members Ari Brown and Brian Curran, today called on Governor Hochul to reverse the devastating cuts to schools that were included in her budget proposal. 

The elimination of the “hold harmless” provision that provides critical stability to local school districts is a glaring example of the Governors’ misplaced priorities. The bloated $233 billion budget siphons state aid away from local schools while dedicating $2.4 billion in taxpayer dollars to address the self-inflicted migrant crisis, bringing the total to $4.3 billion over two years. 

Education should always be among the top priorities for state government, and the Republican Senators and Assemblymen are committed to ensuring that New Yorkers' hard earned tax dollars help schools obtain the resources they need. 

“The Governor’s budget is yet another example of the complete disregard for our Nassau families and taxpayers. $4.3 billion over two years will be used to address the migrant crisis that was caused by open borders and sanctuary city policies supported by the supermajorities in Albany. At the same time, they are stripping millions of dollars from our Nassau school districts. My district alone is getting hit with more than $11 million in school aid cuts (see attached). Nassau taxpayers are tired of misplaced priorities from Albany’s One-Party Rule, and I will continue to fight to get Nassau school districts the funding they deserve,” said Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitpatrick, SD 9.

There is a strong correlation between adequate funding and student achievement. Decreased funding could lead to lower academic performance and graduation rates, and will widen achievement gaps among student populations. Students from low-income backgrounds will certainly be disproportionately affected as they rely more heavily on school resources for academic support and enrichment opportunities. Additionally, these significant cuts will almost certainly lead to salary freezes, reduced benefits, and increased workloads for educators, which will affect morale and may also hinder teacher retention and recruitment efforts, exacerbating staffing shortages and further compromising the quality of education. 

“The loss of 4.3 million dollars in foundation aid in a single year is devastating for our district, particularly since the cut comes without warning or preparation. No district can absorb that level of loss without cuts to programs, which ultimately affect our students, 30% of whom live below State poverty thresholds. We urge our State legislators to seek a reprieve so that we can maintain our student programs, particularly as we continue to recover from the pandemic,” said Dr. Jennifer Gallagher, Superintendent of the Long Beach City School District. 

“Those standing here with me strongly oppose these cuts, and we will fight to ensure all schools get their fair share of education funding in this year’s state budget. Join us and sign my petition and tell the Governor to get her priorities straight and to leave our schools alone. The $4.3 million reduction in the Long Beach school district is one of the largest of all districts here in New York State. I, along with everyone here, will be fighting to get the full funding restored in the State Budget because we owe it to our children, parents, and educators” closed Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick.