FOR RELEASE: January 10, 2023
School boards are pleased to hear assurances from Gov. Kathy Hochul that public education will be an important part of her vision for a New York that provides a welcoming environment for families, individuals and employers.
We thank the governor for her continued commitment to fully funding foundation aid, expanding full-day pre-kindergarten, and establishing new early college high school and P-TECH programs. All of these initiatives will greatly benefit our students.
We look forward to working with the governor and the Legislature to set up a plan for the future of foundation aid. This includes conducting a costing out study to determine the true cost of providing an adequate education for all of the students of New York State, updating the components of the foundation aid formula as needed, and providing minimum required aid increases for districts that would otherwise be left out by the current version of the formula.
We are encouraged by the governor’s support of reforms to make the property tax cap fair for all stakeholders – a priority for school boards – and we await more details about the governor’s commitment to providing the necessary continuum of mental health care for New Yorkers, including students. Her emphasis on school-based supports for students is a welcome recognition that educators want and need tools to help our students overcome mental health challenges so they can thrive academically and socially.
In addition, as the session unfolds, we look forward to working with the governor as we advocate for a universal school meals program to ensure that all students are offered a nutritious breakfast and lunch each day. Healthy school meals are an important building block of student success.
Based on our review of the governor’s initiatives for this legislative session, we anticipate a promising session for our public schools.