As summer draws to a close, the anticipation of a new school year is quickly growing for students, teachers and parents. As young people head back to school, it means they’ll reconnect with friends, get acclimated to new grade levels and classes, and take on different challenges in their learning environment. However, the start of September can be stressful as school supplies and expenses factor into household budgets.

According to the National Retail Federation, expected back-to-school spending per household reached a record high last year. This year, families with children are planning to spend an average of $875 on clothes, shoes, supplies and electronics. For many New York families, the added financial burden has become much more intense with persistent inflation during recent years. As lawmakers, we should do everything we can to reduce these hardships and provide students and teachers with the tools and resources needed to be successful in an educational environment.

The Assembly Minority Conference is committed to helping students, teachers and families deal with today’s rising costs, and we have introduced measures to directly reduce education-related expenses. Some of these proposals include:

• Educator Expense Assistance Act: Provides educators with a personal income tax deduction of up to $300 of unreimbursed expenses from the taxable year for books, supplies, computer equipment (including related software and services) and supplementary classroom materials (A.10157, Blumencranz);
• Teacher Tax Credit: Provides a $500 tax credit to teachers who contribute and/or purchase supplies, pay for field trip costs and help with student expenses (A.5440, Palmesano);
• College Supplies Tax Deduction: Establishes college supplies as a tax-deductible expense (A.5417, Barclay); and
• College Student Expense Tax Credit: Provides New York residents a personal income tax credit of up to $1,000 for college expenses including textbooks and laptops (A.6005, Fitzpatrick).

There are also local community programs that partner with businesses and organizations to distribute free or reduced-cost school supplies, clothing drives and other resources to assist families in need. In the 120th Assembly District, one of those efforts is the United Way of Greater Oswego County Stuff-A-Bus program. In 2023, they collected 33,415 school supplies that helped send 1,730 students back to school prepared and ready to learn.

Finally, as the school year gets underway, it is a reminder that we all share responsibility for keeping kids safe on their daily commutes to and from school. When buses are loading and unloading students, drivers must recognize safety lights, drive slow in busy neighborhoods and refrain from passing a school bus with its stop-arm extended. According to the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, it is estimated that 50,000 vehicles pass stopped school buses with flashing red lights each day. Together, with a little patience and increased attentiveness, we can make the ride to and from school a safer journey. 

Every new school year is an opportunity for kids to explore different learning adventures and celebrate new achievements. I hope everyone enjoys a great start to the school year and much success throughout.