Federal Government Shutdown Persists |
Today is the 9th day of the federal government shutdown. Lawmakers remain at an impasse as the Senate prepares for nearly daily rounds of procedural votes aimed at reopening the government. While both parties work to reopen the government, progress on fiscal year 2026 appropriations remains stalled.
Impact on public schools in New York State is limited in the immediate term. Main funding streams, including Title I and IDEA, should continue to flow. Reports suggest that school meals funding will continue for the time being. However, some targeted funding streams such as Impact Aid, may have stopped. In addition, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) noted that the U.S. Department of Education is likely to “experience disruptions…compounded by the administration’s ongoing efforts to wind down the department and reduce its workforce. With significantly few staff in place, even routine operations are more vulnerable to interruption.” While the short-term impact to New York’s school districts should be minimal, the risk for financial disruption increases the longer the shutdown goes on.
NYSSBA continues to support the U.S. Senate’s federal budget approach, which would generally hold most federal education funding flat. In contrast, the House of Representatives’ budget would make harmful, and in some cases drastic, cuts to federal education funding, to the tune of more than $5 billion. We encourage you to make your voices heard by telling your Congressional representative(s) that you support the preservation of federal support for schools, through the Senate’s budget proposal.
You can send a message through NSBA’s Call to Action tool here.
Voting Delegate Registration Deadline TOMORROW
Tomorrow at 12pm is the deadline for voting delegate registration! Each NYSSBA member board is entitled, and encouraged, to select a board member to serve as a voting delegate for the NYSSBA Annual Business Meeting. Voting delegate registration details and procedures were emailed directly to district clerks. If you are interested in serving as the voting delegate for your board, please contact your district clerk to have them register you. Ensure your board is represented in this important process. If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Grasso at danielle.grasso@nyssba.org.
2025 Business Meeting and Resolutions Process
Last week we published the official 2025 NYSSBA Voting Delegates’ Guide. Included are all proposals eligible for consideration during the Annual Business meeting being held virtually on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 4:00 pm. Any proposed amendments must be received by NYSSBA by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, October 14 to be eligible for consideration during the Annual Business Meeting.
Advocacy Webinar – Save the Date
Local Government and School Boards: Working together to strengthen communities
Join staff members from NYSSBA, the NYS Association of Counties, the NY Conference of Mayors, and the NY Association of Towns on Friday, November 21 at 12pm-1pm for a deep dive into the relationship between state and local governments in New York and how school districts and other local governments interact. Our special guest will be Assemblymember John T. McDonald, III. As chair of the Assembly Governmental Operations Committee and former Mayor of the City of Cohoes, Assemblymember McDonald will bring us insight from his unique perspective as both a current state and a former local elected official. Registration details will be shared soon, and will also be posted on our Events page.