FOR RELEASE: December 3, 2024
The Rockefeller Institute’s report represents a worthwhile starting point for discussions about revising and improving the state’s foundation aid formula.
NYSSBA has long called for state aid to be adequate, equitable, flexible, predictable, and clear. The report’s recommendations are largely consistent with those tenets. However, the recommendations understandably lack the type of detail that is necessary to know how they will impact individual school districts.
The report rightly acknowledges that there are components of the foundation aid formula that sorely need updating, including poverty data, regional costs, inflation, and the treatment of English language learners and special education students. It also recognizes that modern-day schools are obligated to provide many more supports and services than ever before, such as mental health services, a zero-emission bus transition and more.
Where the report falls short, however, is in its recommendations regarding save harmless and guaranteed minimum allocations. Save harmless helps fill in the gaps where state aid formulas don’t adequately recognize student need, but the report proposes several formula recommendations that would likely lead to reductions in foundation aid for many districts.
"We commend the thoughtfulness that went into producing this comprehensive report," said NYSSBA Executive Director Robert Schneider. "We also appreciate the Institute’s openness and accessibility to collecting and incorporating thoughts and feedback from NYSSBA, school board members and other education stakeholders. We strongly encourage the Governor and legislature to view the report in its entirety, and refrain from picking and choosing individual recommendations in isolation. We look forward to further discussions about how to improve the distribution of school aid in the upcoming legislative session."