State aid to schools: Record $771M more for Long Island districts in 2023-24
Students at Westbury High School on Thursday. The school-aid boost for the Nassau-Suffolk region comes on top record-breaking increases in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Long Island's 120-plus school districts will see a record $771 million increase in state financial aid for the 2023-24 school year, as Albany lawmakers wrap up a historic three-year effort to boost funding statewide.
The school-aid boost for the Nassau-Suffolk region, approved by legislators Tuesday, comes on top of a $458 million hike in 2022-23 and a $417 million increase in 2021-22. The two earlier appropriations were record-breakers as well.
For 2023-24, the Island's increase in state aid averages 19%, well above the 9.5% state average. Total dollar amounts are slightly lower than the $775.2 million proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in February.
One goal of the three-year effort was to ensure that even the least-wealthy districts received enough money to provide a "sound, basic" education required by the state constitution. Among the biggest beneficiaries are Brentwood, with a state funding boost of $78.3 million; William Floyd, with $43.7 million; Hempstead, $41.4 million; Freeport, $32.9 million, and Westbury, $23.4 million.
In Westbury, school leaders have responded with a proposed $2 million cut in local property-tax levies for 2023-24 — the third consecutive yearly reduction. At the same time, the district plans to apply aid money to academic improvements, such as a college-level International Baccalaureate program, and to upgrades in sports, including a new turf field.
Robert Troiano Jr., president of Westbury's school board, hailed the state's latest aid allotment and recalled how students and others from his district helped organize a regional rally in 2018 to seek more assistance from Albany.
"It provides a tremendous relief in terms of operating a school district," Troiano said in a phone interview. "I'm really thankful that those efforts on the district's behalf worked out."
Not all districts fared equally well in the distribution of "foundation" aid, which is the state's biggest program of school financial assistance. Under New York's progressive approach, aid increases to some wealthier districts were restricted to a minimum 3%.
Nonetheless, record growth in overall state assistance meant that the majority of districts did reasonably well. Increases averaged 23.5% in Nassau and 16.2% in Suffolk.
"Long Island districts did well, and those that needed the most did best," Assemb. Fred W. Thiele Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) said. Thiele was co-chair of a joint Senate/Assembly subcommittee responsible for working out agreements on several budget issues.
"The school-aid package, while not without flaws, did what it was supposed to do, and that was direct funds to districts in most need of state money," Thiele said.
The budget also provides $134.6 million in support for state reimbursement of school meals statewide. Legislative leaders said this action, when combined with expected federal moves, would add about 300,000 students to the number qualifying for subsidized lunches statewide.
A statewide group of free-meals advocates, the Healthy School Meals for All NY Kids Coalition, thanked lawmakers for the extra money but contended that hundreds of thousands of students would still be required to pay for meals. School lunches were free to all during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some legislators agreed during a budget debate Tuesday that school meals should be universally free.
"There's nothing worse than going to school wondering if you're going to have something to eat," Assemb. Michael Durso (R-Massapequa Park) said.
Statewide, school aid has risen from $26.5 billion in 2020-21 to $33.9 billion in 2023-24, state records show. Some state educational leaders have contended that the cash growth for schools must be considered historic, however much that people may argue over details.
"With this 2023-24 budget, New York has reached a remarkable milestone," said Robert Schneider, executive director of the New York State School Boards Association. "The foundation aid formula, first created in 2007 and intended to provide a sound, basic education for all students, is fully funded for the first time. This achievement cannot be overstated and must not be overlooked."
Long Island's 120-plus school districts will see a record $771 million increase in state financial aid for the 2023-24 school year, as Albany lawmakers wrap up a historic three-year effort to boost funding statewide.
The school-aid boost for the Nassau-Suffolk region, approved by legislators Tuesday, comes on top of a $458 million hike in 2022-23 and a $417 million increase in 2021-22. The two earlier appropriations were record-breakers as well.
For 2023-24, the Island's increase in state aid averages 19%, well above the 9.5% state average. Total dollar amounts are slightly lower than the $775.2 million proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in February.
One goal of the three-year effort was to ensure that even the least-wealthy districts received enough money to provide a "sound, basic" education required by the state constitution. Among the biggest beneficiaries are Brentwood, with a state funding boost of $78.3 million; William Floyd, with $43.7 million; Hempstead, $41.4 million; Freeport, $32.9 million, and Westbury, $23.4 million.
In Westbury, school leaders have responded with a proposed $2 million cut in local property-tax levies for 2023-24 — the third consecutive yearly reduction. At the same time, the district plans to apply aid money to academic improvements, such as a college-level International Baccalaureate program, and to upgrades in sports, including a new turf field.
Robert Troiano Jr., president of Westbury's school board, hailed the state's latest aid allotment and recalled how students and others from his district helped organize a regional rally in 2018 to seek more assistance from Albany.
"It provides a tremendous relief in terms of operating a school district," Troiano said in a phone interview. "I'm really thankful that those efforts on the district's behalf worked out."
Not all districts fared equally well in the distribution of "foundation" aid, which is the state's biggest program of school financial assistance. Under New York's progressive approach, aid increases to some wealthier districts were restricted to a minimum 3%.
Nonetheless, record growth in overall state assistance meant that the majority of districts did reasonably well. Increases averaged 23.5% in Nassau and 16.2% in Suffolk.
"Long Island districts did well, and those that needed the most did best," Assemb. Fred W. Thiele Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) said. Thiele was co-chair of a joint Senate/Assembly subcommittee responsible for working out agreements on several budget issues.
"The school-aid package, while not without flaws, did what it was supposed to do, and that was direct funds to districts in most need of state money," Thiele said.
Among the biggest beneficiaries of the state aid hike is the Brentwood district, with a funding boost of $78.3 million. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
The budget also provides $134.6 million in support for state reimbursement of school meals statewide. Legislative leaders said this action, when combined with expected federal moves, would add about 300,000 students to the number qualifying for subsidized lunches statewide.
A statewide group of free-meals advocates, the Healthy School Meals for All NY Kids Coalition, thanked lawmakers for the extra money but contended that hundreds of thousands of students would still be required to pay for meals. School lunches were free to all during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some legislators agreed during a budget debate Tuesday that school meals should be universally free.
"There's nothing worse than going to school wondering if you're going to have something to eat," Assemb. Michael Durso (R-Massapequa Park) said.
Statewide, school aid has risen from $26.5 billion in 2020-21 to $33.9 billion in 2023-24, state records show. Some state educational leaders have contended that the cash growth for schools must be considered historic, however much that people may argue over details.
"With this 2023-24 budget, New York has reached a remarkable milestone," said Robert Schneider, executive director of the New York State School Boards Association. "The foundation aid formula, first created in 2007 and intended to provide a sound, basic education for all students, is fully funded for the first time. This achievement cannot be overstated and must not be overlooked."
