Message from the Executive Director
May 10, 2026
Dear Members and Stakeholders,
There was encouraging news on Friday regarding the state budget as Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she had reached a "general agreement" with legislative leaders on the 2026-27 spending plan. She provided a high-level overview of the agreement when making the announcement, but did not include specific education funding details.
The governor said the legislature will approve budget bills over the coming days. For context, the governor announced a budget agreement last year on April 28, and the final budget bill was passed on May 9. This suggests budget work – bill printing, debates and votes – will very likely extend into through this upcoming week. Shortly after the governor’s statement, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said that the budget is "close," but that there is "no deal" and that it was "very premature for the governor to make this announcement."
The 10th budget extender was passed on Thursday, funding the state through tomorrow (May 11).
Priority bills advance
As state budget negotiations continue, our Governmental Relations team remains hard at work and has helped advance multiple NYSSBA priority bills this week:
- S.9667, Ryan / A.10896, Solages (Approved by Senate Education Committee) – This bill would delay the state’s zero-emission school bus transition mandate by five years.
- S.44645-A, Mayer / A.838-A, Solages (Approved by Assembly Local Governments Committee, Previously Passed Senate) – This bill would require that all Industrial Development Agency (IDA) boards have at least one school superintendent or school board representative on the board.
- S.8174-A, Martinez / A.10065, Kassay (Approved by Senate Insurance Committee) – This bill would open a window of accessibility for some districts to seek funds from the New York Liquidation Bureau for certain expenses related to the Child Victims Act.
- S.9271, Ryan / A.10360, Rozic (Approved by Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee) – This bill would help shrink the digital divide by authorizing the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to oversee broadband and interconnected VoIP.
Virtual Lobby Day supports priority bill
This week, NYSSBA co-hosted a virtual lobby day with our partners at ASBO-NY, in support of a bill that would allow school districts to temporarily borrow from some existing reserve funds in order to avoid the operational borrowing costs associated with tax anticipation notes (TANs) and revenue anticipation notes (RANs). Meetings were held with legislators’ offices and legislative staff from both the Senate and Assembly.
This advocacy opportunity was made available to NYSSBA Advocacy Liaisons. If you would like to learn more about the program, you can do so here.
COSSBA joins coalition to ask FCC to reconsider E-rate bidding proposal
A coalition of education, library, and broadband organizations, including Coalition of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA), urged the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider its proposal to create a centralized E-Rate competitive bidding portal, arguing it would add unnecessary complexity, administrative burden, and potential conflicts with state and local procurement laws. The letter highlights that the current E-Rate program already has strong safeguards against fraud and abuse, as recognized by the Government Accountability Office, and warns that the proposed changes could deter participation, especially among small and rural institutions.
SED issues communication on Canvas hack
The State Education Department Privacy and Information Security Offices issued a communication to the field noting it is aware of the recent security events related to the Canvas platform, which is owned by Instructure. The office is monitoring the cybersecurity incident that was confirmed by Instructure on April 30 as well as the follow-up cyber-attack conducted on May 7. Canvas recommends enforcing MFA on every privileged account, and auditing admin role assignments to remove anyone who should not have access. NYSED further recommends communications to users to be on high alert for phishing or social engineering scams. SED offered reminders that educational agencies are required to file incident reports with the SED Chief Privacy Officer and to the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
The Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS) through its School Mental Health Resource and Training Center (SMHRTC) is highlighting its ongoing commitment to the mental health and well-being of students, educators, and school communities across New York State by recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Throughout May, we can join with them in recognizing and supporting the important role schools play in raising awareness, reducing stigma, and helping people connect to the support and resources they need. As education stakeholders, we all know the importance of supporting our students’ mental health needs and normalizing conversations around mental health.
I encourage you to learn more about the trainings being offered this month by SMHRTC and also its no-cost Youth Mental Health First Aid program.
Congratulations Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES for What’s Great in our State award
Congratulations to the Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES for receiving the New York State 2026 What’s Great in our State School/School District Award! The award recognizes education systems that have increasingly recognized the importance of supporting wellness and addressing the mental health needs of students. The BOCES was recognized on Tuesday for its collaborative work to forge connections between physicians, educators and providers. Serving a largely rural area of the state, the BOCES "is addressing key barriers to care, including siloed systems, provider shortages, and limited access. By moving beyond the traditional school-based clinic model, this team has developed innovative programs and fostered a system of interprofessional collaboration to provide care that is more responsive to the needs of youth and their families," according to the award press release.
Violinists wanted to perform with NYSSBA convention keynote speaker
NYSSBA is seeking 12 violinists from a district orchestra to perform with Steven Sharp Nelson, the opening keynote speaker for the 2026 Annual Convention and Trade Expo. The performance will be on Thursday, Oct. 22, between 5 and 7 p.m. Violinists will need to learn and memorize a short passage of music (intermediate level) and play it with accurate rhythm and intonation.
Applicants must be from a school district that is a current NYSSBA member in good standing through the 2026 calendar year. Please contact Jennifer Kearney to let us know you want to participate in this opportunity to showcase your violinists. All submissions will be vetted by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA).
AI policy workshop delivers key updates
School board member attendees at the "Policy Issues: Keeping up with Artificial Intelligence" webinar on Wednesday gained an understanding of recent developments in the world of artificial intelligence and learned about the related legal and privacy issues surrounding this technology. A school administrator and BOCES staff shared their experiences with integrating AI into district operations. Importantly, this session included a review of updated policy language addressing the evolving AI landscape including new legal restrictions on the use of AI in employment decisions. We extend our appreciation to our sponsor, Lego Education, for their support for this session and encourage you to watch their video on how they are helping students build skills in computer science and AI.
Weekly updates and reminders
COSSBA webinar: Recruiting and Retaining Highly Effective Teachers, Wednesday, May 20, at noon
In today’s competitive educational landscape, attracting and retaining highly effective teachers remains one of the most pressing challenges facing school districts. This webinar will highlight innovative strategies utilized by the Caroline Public School District in Virginia to recruit top-tier educators while fostering supportive environments that encourage them to remain and thrive. Participants will gain practical insights into building strong talent pipelines, leveraging partnerships with universities and local communities, and implementing effective hiring practices that prioritize both quality and organizational fit.
Before your board votes on a facility project, budget proposal or program change — how confident are you in the enrollment trends and demographic assumptions behind it? If the answer is "not very," you're not alone. Fortunately, there's a free fix. Dr. Amy Brombos, who serves organizations across New York State as a data dissemination specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Data Dissemination and Training Branch, will help you:
- Access free federal demographic and economic data sources.
- Validate the enrollment and planning assumptions behind major proposals.
- Spot early population shifts before they become surprises.
- Ask stronger, data-driven questions of your administrators.
Register now: Leadership in Education Event, July 24-25, at the Crowne Plaza Albany
Registration is open for the fifth annual Leadership in Education Event, our premier summer learning experience. The highly interactive learning opportunities will provide you with an in-depth look at some of the most pressing topics facing your district including artificial intelligence, student wellbeing in a digital world, community engagement, Portrait of a Graduate and cybersecurity. There will be a session on the Dignity Index and an SED panel discussion as well as opportunities to network.
Plan now to come in a day early and mark in your calendar for July 23 so that you and your board colleagues do not miss this year’s Summer Law Conference. Delve into the evolving legal complexities of some things old and others new and the related liability risks in areas such as cybersecurity, how the use of AI can result in a violation of civil rights, and immunization exemptions. Find out how to navigate these pressing issues during this conference. Registration starts on May 15. Sign up early to save your spot.
More from SED this week
The State Education Department shared the following this week:
- SED has issued a Procurement RFP #131 for 21st Century Community Learning Centers Technical Assistance Resource Centers. Information and updates are available here.
- The Office of Early Learning has released the Spring P-3 OEL Newsletter.
Read the latest national association news
Here’s the latest from the Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA) and the National School Boards Association (NSBA):
I’d like to end this week’s message by sharing our appreciation for several different groups. First, thank you to all the district clerks who have responded to our pre-election survey. Your support of our election tracking is invaluable and we appreciate you.
Second, on behalf of NYSSBA and its members, I’d like to wrap up Teacher Appreciation Week by adding our voices to the chorus of thank yous that I hope you received during the week. We are grateful for your dedication to teaching our students!
And, last, but not least, I want to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
Be well and stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Robert S. Schneider CPA, CAE
Executive Director
New York State School Boards Association