7/23/2019 Resolution on School Funding From WPSBA

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December 2015 Resolution re: NYS Underfunding of Public School Districts

WHEREAS, New York State, despite its promises, is underfunding our publicschool districts; and

WHEREAS, highl publici!ed increases in state aid to education o"er the pasttwo ears ha"e not made up for draconian cuts in State aid due to the #apElimination Ad$ustment %#EA& and the 'oundation Aid free!e( )his ear, *+ of the school districts in Westchester and -utnam .ounties still recei"e less Stateeducation funding than the did in *++/, and another */ ha"e been increasedb onl 0 or less; and

WHEREAS, o"er the past si1 ears, the State raided 234+ million in funds due

Westchester and -utnam districts, and filled its coffers with 25 billion #EA dollarsstatewide( )his ear alone, the 6ssining 7nion 'ree School 8istrict lost 2909,954due to the #EA, for a total #EA state aid loss of 2:+(/ million since *+:+( t isironic that 0* of the districts in our region are still being shortchanged b o"er one<third of the #EA mone due them while NY State runs a surplus; and

WHEREAS, the multi<ear free!e in 'oundation Aid funding has depri"ed districtsin our two<count region of 2:/9 million dollars in *+:=<:9 alone, most of whichis being taken from the highest need districts( )o point, this ear the State isshortchanging our district>s 'oundation Aid dollars b 2:*(3 million, Yonkers b23+ million, -ort .hester b 2:9 million, and ?ount @ernon b 2** million( )he

formula must be reinstated to reflect current need and enrollment changes(

WHEREAS, these cuts and free!es ha"e been put in place despite a *++0 courtorder RE7RN# the State to increase its funding of high need school districtso"er se"eral ears; and

WHEREAS, School districts ha"e been eliminating programs, teachers, supportpersonnel, administrati"e staff, course offerings including art, music and other non<mandated courses, as well as student e1tra<curricular offerings such asteam sports( )he ha"e also had to increase class si!e and student to adultratios in ke areas such as guidance counselors; and

WHEREAS, since *++5, NYS has postured that it doesn>t ha"e the re"enue topa its share for public education; this simpl is not the case( .omptroller )homas 8iNapoli stated in his 6ctober *+:= State .ash Report, BState tax collections through October totaled $42.3 billion and were just under $4 billion or 10.3 percent higher than the same period last year. ear!to!date tax collectionswere $".4 million o#er the latest projections released %o#. "& and nearly $1.' billion o#er initial projections (rom the )nacted *udget+, and 

7/23/2019 Resolution on School Funding From WPSBA

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WHEREAS, the State promise that reductions in costl state<mandatede1penditures would be paired with the )a1 Ce" Cimit %aka, the ta1 cap& has N6)been kept( State action is needed to reduce ke e1penditure mandates andpro"ide local fle1ibilit and local accountabilit; the era of one<si!e<fits<allinitiati"es must end( School districts ha"e been saddled with newunfundedDunderfunded e1penditures despite the static re"enue flow( Race to the)op %R)))&, .ommon .ore Cearning Standards %..CS& and Annual -rofessional-erformance Re"iew %A--R& reuirements are the largest underfundedmandates in recent histor( While school districts continue to find was to shareser"ices and reduce e1penditures, these cuts will ne"er get to the core of theissue; and

WHEREAS, gi"en a *+:9<:0 ta1 le" limit based on a pro$ected + .-, andgi"en the current State aid parameters, public school districts will continue tomo"e towards educational and fiscal insol"enc, and will continue to erode theprograms and resources needed to pro"ide a sound, basic education to e"erstudent( Some will reach a critical le"el sooner than others, but e"er district istra"eling down that same path( 8istricts that ha"e pro"ided e1emplar e1amplesof ualit education will ha"e to le"el down their ser"ices, while the should besetting the bar for others; and

WHEREAS, School Foard members belie"e thatG public education is a New YorkState constitutional right; e"er child has the right to a sound, basic education;and New York State has an unconditional obligation to adeuatel fund our publicschool districts; and

)HERE'6RE, FE ) RES6C@E8 )HA), -ublic Education must be a top priorititem in New York State, not one that is ad$usted to make ends meet or satisfpolitical e1pedienc( )he #EA must be relegated to histor and the 'oundation

 Aid formula must be reinstated( Adeuate and appropriate State funding to

ensure e"er child has access to a ualit public school districts is long o"erdue(School districts are reling on elected officials to take action to put studentsahead of politics and make public education whole(