Ever since Governor Kathy Hochul (D) unveiled her record-breaking $233 billion state budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year in January, the conversation surrounding the state aid cuts to local school districts across New York has been nonstop.
Over the last two months, teachers, parents, and elected officials have rallied against the proposed $168 million cut to school districts, affecting 337 districts across the state, and roughly $75 million for Long Island alone.
Based on preliminary data, funding for some of Suffolk’s largest school districts are on the chopping block. For our Smithtown readers, the proposed districts are Kings Park, Smithtown, and Three Village (Three Village serves Head of the Harbor and parts of St. James). In Brookhaven, the districts slated for cuts are Bayport-Blue Point, Center Moriches, East Moriches, Eastport-South Manor, Fire Island, Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson, South Country, and Three Village. In Islip, Bayport-Blue Point, Connetquot, East Islip, Islip, Sayville, and West Islip are set to lose significant funding if the budget passes as is.
Outside of our tri-Town coverage, districts across the county would also be affected, including, but not limited to, Amagansett, Cold Spring Harbor, East Quogue, Fisher’s Island, Harborfields, and Sag Harbor, to name a few. Perhaps one of the largest rallies yet was assembled at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge last Saturday, where several hundred community members gathered to protest the budget. The rally was headlined by Ranking Member of the Education Committee Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook).
“The Governor talks about a back-to-basics reading program, but without the support, we’re going to be back to the drawing board,” said Smith. “All of you have been through a tough fight these last fourteen years. Since then, there has been a war on teachers. You remember this with [then-Governor] Andrew Cuomo (D). There was Common Core, where we were building an airplane in the sky as we’re trying to fly it. That was very bizarre and put a lot of strain on all of you and your teachers and your students. And then you took us through COVID and we’re still trying to recover from that. So, that is something that you should all be proud of, but we need to make it easier. Last year, we finally fully funded foundation aid, but make no mistake, seventeen years was too long to wait.”
Smith added that the effort to restore the funding is largely bipartisan.
“I’m happy to report that with support from both Democrats and Republicans, we passed two one-house budgets this week to ensure we restore the cuts.”
Smith was referring to the resolution that proposes amendments to the Governor’s budget. As it pertains to education funding, the proposal “ rejects all Executive changes to Foundation Aid, including the elimination of ‘hold harmless’; adds “$150 million for Universal Pre-K; $747 million for school aid, providing a minimum of 3% increase for all school districts,” as well reforming and expanding the Universal Pre-K Program and the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
The “hold harmless” provision, generically, is a promise in a contract that does not allow a party that breaches to hold the other party fiscally responsible for inflicted damages. As it relates to the budget, school districts get a flat amount of foundation aid and, at minimum, receive the same amount of state aid as they did the previous year. The provision aims to keep school districts’ budgets consistent so as to offer the same programs and positions year after year. Hochul’s proposal seeks to remove the “hold harmless” provision and introduce a fluctuating aid formula in tandem with a rolling average of inflation over the last ten years. In short, the formula would capture low inflation rates from last decade, inaccurately capturing the high rates today.
Smith also mentioned that the state legislature is committed to fixing the funding formula and ensuring meals for all schoolchildren. “This is our line in the sand,” concluded Smith.
“This is the last year that our children and teachers are used as political pawns in budget negotiations. We’re inviting Governor Hochul to join us and fully fund our schools.”
State Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James) gave an impassioned plea to the Governor to accept the amendments in the one-house budget proposal.
“This is not about politics, this is about our future and our families,” said Mattera. “Our families are important, but also are our school teachers, security guards, custodians, and everyone who is on staff. They’re going to lose.” Mattera invoked his experience as a union leader with the Plumbers’ Union, saying “I create jobs, I don’t eliminate jobs.”
Mattera also discussed his conversation with the Governor at Kings Park High School in January. Just hours before her short-notice appearance to make an in-person delivery of Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grants to Kings Park, Bellport, and Mineola, the aspects of her school aid cuts were released with her executive budget.
“She comes out to give $10 million to the town of Smithtown, but the Kings Park School that the Governor was standing in was set to lose a million dollars [in state funding].”
Mattera said that he was told then he would receive a meeting with the Governor.
“I’m still waiting for that meeting,” said Mattera.
Mattera also spoke of the Amityville School District where forty-five teachers lost their jobs.
“Unacceptable, it’s dysfunctional government at its worst,” said Mattera. “The Governor can pull this out of her budget Monday morning.”
Dr. Timothy Hearney, Superintendent of Bayport-Blue Point Public Schools, said that both chambers of the state legislature “included a minimum 3% increase in foundation aid for all districts by fully funding all existing reimbursable categories, such as BOCES, transportation, special education, and building aid.”
“These actions have the potential to undoubtedly strengthen our schools and empower us to better serve our students,” said Hearney. “Thank you once again for your tireless dedication and support. Let us continue to stand united in our mission to fund our future, fund our schools, and ensure that every child receives the education they deserve. Let us remember that the education of our children is an investment in the future of our communities and our state.”
Dr. Maria Rianna, Superintendent of the Glen Cove Schools, spoke to her education experience both in Nassau and Suffolk counties, saying she spent most of her time in Suffolk.
“We tell our children not to make rash decisions. We try to teach our students to make informed decisions. Governor, I’m going to ask you to be a model for our children. Step back,” said Rianna. “Restore funding to prior years’ adjustments and make creating a formula truly a priority. Set the money in the budget to allow for the creation of a new formula.”
Susan Lipman, President of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association and Trustee on the Eastern Suffolk BOCES School Board, said that “Long Island has a long history of delivering high-quality education for our students.”
“By almost every measure, as a region, we outperform New York State and tout some of the highest performing schools in the country,” said Lippman. “The foundation aid formula was developed as part of a 2003 settlement brought against the state on the basis that the state was not fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide sound, basic education to every student in New York State. And yet, it took seventeen years after its development to meet that obligation. Many of our districts have waited a long time for the money to which they were entitled. Enrollment shifts didn’t happen overnight and for the Governor to decide that it’s now time to right-size education is not only unfair, it’s based on flawed assumptions. Inflation driving increases in expenses over which local boards have no control, such as the state mandated pension costs, and unfunded and underfunded mandates like special education continue to be major course drivers for education in New York.”
Lippman also mentioned student mental health issues, declining enrollment, an increased need for special education and English-language learners, and the need for increased security on school campuses.
The budget now heads to an April 1 deadline, fulfillment of which is on shaky ground given the discord between the Governor and the legislature. A similar showdown occurred last year, which saw the budget passed in early May.
Present from the Suffolk delegation to Albany were Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), Senator Alexis Weik (R-Sayville), and Assemblymembers Jarett Gandolfo (R-Sayville), Jodi Giglio (R-Baiting Hollow), and Mike Durso (R-Massapequa Park). Other New York officials included Assemblymembers John Mikulin (R-Bethpage), Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square), Taylor Darling (D-Uniondale), Brian Curran (R-Lynbrook), Jake Blumencranz (R-Oyster Bay), and Chuck LaVine (D-Glen Cove).
