ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)– Governor Kathy Hochul plans on increasing state funding for schools in her 2024 budget.
“Our kids are still struggling, our teachers have been though so much. We lost a lot of teachers, so to get our kids back on track, we are going to invest $34.5 billion. The largest school aid increase ever and a $2.7 billion dollar increase in foundation aid. Fully funding the formula for the first time in history,” said Hochul.
The proposed investment is being praised by New York State United Teachers, also known NYSUT.
“We were thrilled with the foundation aid because years ago we were told in previous administration that this was taken care of,” said Andy Pallota, NYSUT President. “So we know through the fight of many years, going back to the 1990s on fair funding for schools, foundation aid, that this was something that was going to help the most needy school districts in the state. And there hundreds of theses school districts. So with the foundation aid going up and being taken care of fully, we applaud that. We are grateful for that.”
The union also applauds the governor for wanting to invest $10 million dollars into school-based mental health services.
When it comes to New York City charter schools, the governor proposed increasing per-pupil funding by 4.5 percent.
The New York Charter Schools Association’s Executive Director, Yomika Bennett, issued a statement saying in-part, “We are so pleased that the governor has recognized the value and importance of a charter school education in her executive budget.”
However NYSUT’s president shares a different opinion, saying charter schools drain funding for public schools.
“NYSUT fights for the funding for public schools and then it seems like the concept here is that a lot of that money would just go right out instead of into the public schools, right into the corporate charters.”