The Senate and Assembly briefly returned to Albany today to pass a second state budget extender. This extender provides funding for state government operations through Tuesday, April 14. Neither house has plans to return to Albany again this week.
There have been no reports of any new progress made on budget negotiations in recent days. That was not unexpected, with many legislators and staff observing holidays during that time. Potentially complicating budget work was news today that Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger apparently suffered a mild stroke earlier this month. Fortunately, her spokesperson said she is “up and about and doing well, and a full recovery is expected.”
As negotiations continue, NYSSBA will be stressing the importance of school boards having timely and reliable school aid information, in support of local budget proposals. School boards must adopt their budget proposals by late April.
State Budget Advocacy
Our state budget advocacy work continues. The NYSSBA Governmental Relations team has been in the state Capitol throughout the past few weeks speaking with dozens of state legislators to share our final budget priorities. But you can do so as well! Through our Take Action email campaign, you can send these budget priorities directly to the Governor and your state legislators. The letter is customizable, enabling you to reflect the needs of your specific district or BOCES. And please feel welcome to share this opportunity with your broader school community.
NYSSBA will continue to keep you up-to-date on state budget negotiations.
White House Releases FY 2027 Federal Budget Proposal
On Friday, the White House released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2027, two months after it was legally due. This delay, along with continued discussions over funding the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2026, signal high potential for budget delays in this upcoming cycle. The budget proposals affecting K-12 education include:
- Flat funding for Title I ($18.4 billion)
- $489 million increase for special education services for school-aged students
- Elimination of $8.5 billion in over a dozen other funding streams
- Creation of a new $2 billion block grant to states, entitled “Make Education Great Again”
- $500 million to expand charter schools
The block grant proposal is similar to what the White House proposed in last year’s budget. Fortunately, that proposal was ultimately rejected, resulting in sustained funding for all current K-12 programs for fiscal year 2026. Members of NYSSBA will be provided opportunities to engage with their members of Congress over the summer as we host our virtual congressional meetings. We will provide memos and talking points that stress the importance of investing in public education. To read the memos used in our February in-person Congressional meetings, click here.
2026 Resolutions Process
Our resolutions survey closed on March 23rd. The results of that survey will be included in the upcoming Resolution Kit, which will be distributed via email to the full membership on Monday, April 13th. The kit will also include a listing of sunsetting position statements and detailed information related to submission of proposed resolutions and bylaw amendments. It will also be available on the NYSSBA website here. The deadline for submission will be 5pm on Friday, July 17th. The Annual Business Meeting will be virtual beginning at 4pm on Thursday, October 17th. Registration for Voting Delegates will be sent to clerks in August. Please reach out to us should your board require assistance in the process.