September 24, 2018

Last week, Ed Trust-NY launched an online tool analyzing data on building level per-pupil allocation reports that 76 school districts were required to submit to the state by the start of the school year. You can access this data tool as well as the original reports at the links below.

• Ed Trust - NY School Funding Transparency Tool
• NYS DOB School Funding Transparency Forms

September 17, 2018

Late last week, the committees responsible for negotiating the federal education spending package released their committee report. While this spending plan still needs final legislative approval in both houses before going to the President for approval, it is unlikely the agreed upon  levels will change much. This deal was reached as NYSSBA was reaching the end of 6 weeks of federal advocacy on many topics, including the federal spending plan. Additional analysis is underway but initial reports indicate the following is included in the deal:

September 10, 2018

Last week, Governor Cuomo signed legislation extending certain tenure-like protections to labor class employees, such as district support staff, with five years of experience or more. These employees will now be entitled to certain investigatory procedures including a hearing before an independent hearing officer before they can be subject to any disciplinary action.

NYSSBA had sought a veto to this legislation, and in prior sessions had secured a veto, but unfortunately this year the issue was not resolved in our favor. NYSSBA's letter in opposition can be viewed below.

• Letter opposing  S.8973 / A.11223 

September 7, 2018

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that, beginning with the 2018-19 school year, State Report cards must include: specific, per-pupil expenditures of Federal, State and local funds, including actual personnel expenditures and actual non-personnel expenditures of Federal, State and local funds, disaggregated by source of funds.

The first  of these reports will be required for the 2018-19 school year, and those reports will be on actual expenditures and are expected to be due by December 2019.

To ensure the financial reports are useful to school districts and their communities, SED is soliciting stakeholder feedback through a series of regional meetings.

August 24, 2018

Late yesterday afternoon, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released regulations governing the federal tax deductibility of donations to local charitable funds,  which school districts were authorized to establish in the 2018 state budget.

Full analysis of the IRS proposal is still underway. However, our initial review indicates that the IRS plans to reject the deductibility of the majority of these types of donation.

August 9, 2018

Last night, the New York State Division of the Budget released a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document to assist districts in the completion and submission of the New York State School Funding Transparency Form.  A link to the FAQ is included below.

July 25, 2018

Following the Monday passage in the US Senate, the House acted yesterday to approve the reauthorization of the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. 

Highlights of the final version of the reauthorization, dubbed the "Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act" are below. If signed, this act would:

July 20th, 2018

Last week, the NYS Division of the Budget (DOB) released the form and guidance on the new requirement for districts to report annually on building level, per pupil budget allocations, based on a requirement in the 2018 enacted state budget. NYSSBA sent an Advocacy Alert to members later that same day summarizing the materials released by DOB.

DOB is soliciting questions on the form and guidance until July 25, 2018, and will use the questions to produce a "frequently asked questions" (FAQ) document by August 8, 2018. Districts that are subject to the requirement in year one will have until August 31, 2018 to submit their forms.

July 18, 2018

This week, the full House Appropriations Committee voted on recommendations regarding Fiscal Year 2019 funding for the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. Those recommendations included the restoration of $47 million in funding for Safe Schools and Citizenship Education for a total funding level of $90 million. In addition, the Committee noted that Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAE) grants (authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act) could be used for "School Safety Measures" including, but not limited to, bullet resistant doors and glass with hinge-locking mechanisms, immediate notification systems and other hardening measures.

July 11, 2018

Earlier today, the NYS Division of the Budget released the form and guidance on the new requirement for districts to report annually on building level, per pupil budget allocations, based on a requirement in the 2018 enacted state budget. Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, this requirement will affect any school district with at least four schools that receives 50 percent of it's total revenue through state aid.

There are 76 districts impacted in 2018 and they will have until July 25, 2018  to submit questions to the Division of the Budget for possible inclusion in a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document. Year one districts will have until August 31, 2018 to submit their form. All districts who receive Foundation Aid will be required to comply beginning in the 2020-2021 school year.