APPR and state aid link unchanged in budget

On Board Online • April 11, 2016

By Eric D. Randall
Editor-in-Chief

The fine print of the 2016 enacted state budget (see story, page 3) has temporarily dashed hopes that the Legislature and governor would stop making individual school districts' receipt of state aid increases dependent on having a state-approved annual professional performance review (APPR) plan. APPR plans still must be compliant with the changes made in the 2015 budget (Education Law section 3012-d) by Sept. 1.

"Districts who do not have an approved plan in place face a significant penalty - the loss of both their 2015 and 2016 state aid increases," said Julie Marlette, NYSSBA's director of governmental relations.

"At this point, the vast majority of districts do not have approved 3012-d plans," Marlette said.

The Assembly's budget proposal included language to unlink state aid increases from APPR, while the governor's Executive Budget and the Senate's proposal both were silent on the issue.

NYSSBA offered a compromise proposal for legislators to consider. In the absence of an agreement to completely delink aid increases from compliance with APPR, alternatively, school districts could be allowed (at local option) to evaluate teachers and principals under either sections 3012-c or 3012-d. Such a change would ensure that evaluations continue to take place, but that districts are not forced to negotiate another new evaluation plan.

"We will continue to work with lawmakers to address this issue before the end of the legislative session," said Marlette. "It would be a shame to achieve record aid increases only to see individual districts be deprived because of this provision."

To see a listing of districts without an approved 3012-d plan and the aid at risk visit the NYSSBA website at goo.gl/nWQh3w .