There were few complaints from state Republicans or Democrats when record school aid increases were pouring into New York school districts the past couple of years.
Keep in mind those record aid increases come from a state that already has, by far, the highest spending per pupil of any state in the country. Everyone had to know the school aid increases of the past couple of years were unsustainable in a state in which enrollment in many rural school districts is decreasing year after year while more and more students struggle to read and do math at the state’s prescribed proficiency levels.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed state budget came with a bitter spoonful of medicine for rural school districts. The governor made two changes that don’t seem like much, but ended up creating headaches for small school districts. First, the governor changed the way inflation is calculated in the state Foundation Aid formula so that it will be more predictable from year to year – but at the same time it limits spending growth in 2024 when inflation remains high. The second change was cutting “save harmless” funding by $167.9 million across 337 districts. Reductions are prorated based on district wealth but occur primarily within rural districts and represent sizable reductions in many districts, especially those that have had the greatest enrollment declines.
Hochul’s proposed change to the Foundation Aid formula has left many school districts upset – though some of the uproar is the state’s own fault because of the state’s inability to chart a consistent course when it comes to school funding. Hochul just last year trumpeted record levels of foundation aid funding. Schools thought that level of funding would be a worst-case scenario in 2024-25 – then found out they were mistaken. It’s hard to make financial plans with such revenue uncertainty.
Such large financial aid increases only prop up a failing rural education system. Eventually, rural school districts with falling enrollments and rising fixed costs have to cut people and programs to keep themselves afloat – and that’s not what’s best for students.
Given the uproar in Albany, it’s unlikely Hochul’s changes will remain in the state’s budget when the spending plan is eventually approved. Rather than talking about the future through ideas like mergers, regional schools and ways to help rural schools deal with rising, fixed costs, the debate in Albany will be the same debate we hear every year – spend more money on schools and deal with the problems next year.
In our view Hochul’s budget proposal is a dose of reality for a state education establishment in drastic need of a wake-up call. It’s too bad the state Legislature seems poised to hit the snooze button.
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New York, Where School Spending Is Never High Enough
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10.02.2024
There were few complaints from state Republicans or Democrats when record school aid increases were pouring into New York school districts the past couple of years.
Keep in mind those record aid increases come from a state that already has, by far, the highest spending per pupil of any state in the country. Everyone had to know the school aid increases of the past couple of years were unsustainable in a state in which enrollment in many rural school districts is decreasing year after year while more and more students struggle to read and do math at the state’s prescribed proficiency levels.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed state budget came with a bitter spoonful of medicine for rural school........
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