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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.

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"When we have overcrowded classrooms and inadequate funding, children slip through the cracks. This year’s state budget addresses this problem by tackling these issues head on - leaving no room for excuses."
- Assemblywoman Nolan
Reducing class sizes in NYC schools

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 education

The 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 schools

The 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:

  • Increasing public notification and input during the application process for the approval or renewal of a charter school
  • Improving the charter school approval process and a public hearing in communities potentially receiving new charter schools
  • Requiring notice and a public hearing when a charter school seeks to share space with the traditional school

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 schools

This 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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Working to expand the Empire State Tax Credit

The Empire State Tax Credit reduces taxes by as much as $330 per child from age 4 up to 17. Assemblywoman Nolan, along with her colleagues in the Assembly, wants to expand the tax credit to include those under 4. Assemblywoman Nolan will continue to fight to make the Empire State Tax Credit expansion a reality - providing New York families with more to pay for expenses like child care, after-school lessons or school tuition.

What if you already filed your tax return?

Even if you forgot to apply for the tax credit when you filed your 2006 tax return, you can still receive it.

Just fill out Form IT-213 and mail the form by itself to:

State Processing Center
PO Box 61000
Albany, NY 12261-0001

Visit http://www.tax.state.ny.us for more information.






Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan 2007 State Budget: A Historic
Investment in New York’s Schools
Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan
61-08 Linden Street • Ridgewood, NY 11385 • 718-456-9492
45-25 47th Street • Woodside, New York 11377 • 718-784-3194


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