Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara (D-Rotterdam) has announced that the Assembly budget proposal for SFY 2014-15 includes an increase of nearly $1.1 billion over SFY 2013 – the largest increase in state aid to education in six years.

“Investing in our children’s education must be a priority so that our children can get the quality education they need to compete in today’s global economy,” Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara said. “Increased funding will also help lessen the burden on local property.”

The Assembly’s education aid increase is over $400 million greater than Governor Cuomo’s Executive budget proposal released in January and includes $335 million to accelerate the phase-in of Foundation Aid and $367 million for Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) restoration.

In addition, the Assembly’s budget proposal:

• maintains funding at $5 million for the Pathways in Technology and Early College High School (P-TECH) program, and includes Career and Technical Education (CTE) High Schools as eligible grant recipients;
• restores $14.3 million for teacher resource and computer training centers;
• restores $2 million to the executive’s cut to libraries, totaling $84.9 million;
• increases funding for bilingual education grants by $1 million;
• restores $1 million for adult literacy education; and
• restores and increases funding to $475,000 for the Executive Leadership Institute.

The Assembly’s budget proposal also makes a college education more affordable by increasing the maximum TAP award by $300 and increasing the base aid to SUNY community colleges like Schenectady County Community College and Fulton Montgomery Community College by $50 per FTE student, bringing the total to $2,472 per FTE student.