State budget comes through for New York City students | ||
Historic investment in New York’s education system helps students succeed
in an ever-changing global economy
With the largest education investment in New York State history, New York City schools will receive $714 million more than last year - a 10 percent increase. For years, Assemblywoman Nolan has fought for a meaningful statewide solution to the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) school aid decision. This year’s state budget accomplishes this goal. This budget makes significant investments in our education system by finally addressing the Court of Appeals’ ruling in the CFE case. Included in the budget is a new foundation education formula for predictable, stable and transparent funding - something the Assembly has insisted on for years. Particularly crucial is the assurance that at long last New York City, the focus of the original court case, will receive a 43 percent increase in foundation aid. This builds on last year’s Assembly victory on "EXCEL" financing for New York City’s capital needs by providing over $470 million more in operating aid. Assemblywoman Nolan believes that this funding will not just provide our children with a sound, basic education - but a first-class, quality education that will help them be successful throughout their lives.
The 2007 budget requires New York City to prepare a Contract for Excellence that must include, among other initiatives, a plan to reduce average class sizes within five years in the specified grade ranges and class size reductions for low performing and overcrowded schools. Expanding early educationThe budget provides $60.3 million more for New York City schools to advance the Assembly’s plan to provide statewide universal pre-K and ensure that every 4-year-old in the state has the opportunity to get a head start on school. A sensible plan to expand charter schoolsThe state budget authorizes up to 50 more charter schools for New York City while instituting reforms to ease the financial impact of local school districts, increase accountability, and ensure communities have a voice in where they are located. Reforms include:
The state budget also requires charter schools to demonstrate good faith efforts to attract and retain a comparable or greater enrollment of students with disabilities and limited English proficiency in comparison with other schools in the charter school’s school district. Helping local private and parochial schoolsThis year the Assembly was successful in providing local private and parochial schools with $39 million more than the governor’s proposed budget - helping to defray educational expenditures. The budget also provides additional computer hardware aid to schools - increasing the rate from $19.25 to $24.20 per student and, for the first time, providing it to non-public schools. |
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2007 State Budget: A Historic Investment in New York’s Schools 61-08 Linden Street • Ridgewood, NY 11385 • 718-456-9492 45-25 47th Street • Woodside, New York 11377 • 718-784-3194 nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us |
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