Assemblyman
Peter
Abbate
Abbate
September 2009
EDUCATION
REPORT
REPORT
September 2009
In order to meet the needs of our growing school age population, as well as bring schools into the 21st century, a number of local schools have been expanded, updated and built to accommodate the children and families in our area.
New Schools at 50 Avenue P: The Brooklyn School of Inquiry – K686 (K-8) and The Academy of Talented Scholars – K682 (K-5) opened this year and are housed in a brand new building at the corner of Stillwell Avenue.
Expansion of schools to relieve overcrowding and modernization of facilities at:
Additionally, over the past several years, more than $50 million has been spent on renovations of local school, including:
PS 105, PS 176, PS 205 and JHS 227 (Shallow) - Electrical and safety system upgrade and modernization
PS 105, PS 176, PS 186, PS 205, IS 187 (Christa McAuliffe), IS 201 (Dyker) and JHS 227 (Shallow) – had exterior renovations including modernized school yards
The budget could have been a disaster for schools, students and taxpayers. Yet, even during the worst economic downturn in decades, we maintained our strong commitment to educating our children and providing them with the tools and skills they will need to compete successfully for the jobs of the 21st century.
The budget lifts the freeze on reimbursable expense-based aids, including transportation, building aid and BOCES – ensuring school districts have access to the funds they need. Overall, schools will benefit by an estimated increase of $403 million over the 2008-2009 school year. Foundation aid for the 2009-2010 school year will remain at current levels. The Assembly continues its historic commitment to foundation aid by phasing in full funding over three years, a year earlier than the executive’s proposal, starting in 2011-2012.
The budget also uses federal funds to help local school districts over the next two years, including:
$906 million in Title 1 funds, which is financial assistance for schools with high percentages of disadvantaged children, to help ensure all children meet the state’s academic standards; and
$794 million under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), ensuring that mandatory early intervention, special education and related services are provided to children with disabilities.
Recognizing the significant economic development impact of the City University of New York (CUNY) and State University of New York (SUNY), the budget invests:
$2.5 billion for SUNY, nearly $118 million more than last year, and
$144.4 million more to CUNY (including Brooklyn College and Kingsborough), providing it with $1.9 billion.
In addition, the budget restores:
$31 million to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP),
$3.6 million for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), and
Maintains funding for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), and the Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) program.
Through counseling, tutoring, financial assistance and drop-out prevention, these programs are dedicated to encouraging enrollment in college, and helping ensure success.