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CFE releases ideas for statewide school aid fix March 31, 2005  While state legislators remain stymied on how to address the Campaign for Fiscal Equity's landmark school finance court decision, a coalition of education groups and CFE unveiled a plan to simplify and dramatically increase statewide education funding.
The "Schools for New York 's Future Act" would increase statewide education funding by $8.6 billion over four years, with hundreds of districts receiving substantial increases in state aid. CFE and a coalition of education groups, including New York State United Teachers, formed a task force and drafted a bill that would transform the court's New York City-focused order into a statewide solution. "Together, with organizations across the state, we are calling on the governor and the Legislature to step up to the plate and deliver our kids the resources they need without any further delay," said CFE Executive Director Michael Rebell. The group revealed the plan March 23, just as lawmakers appeared to be preparing to negotiate the education budget without dealing with CFE (pending more appeals). The coalition's simplified formula would consolidate more than 30 existing state aid categories into a single funding stream. The foundation starts with a base level of funding, about $8,000 per pupil, which is then multipled by the number of enrolled students. This figure is adjusted by a cost of education index and a sparsity factor. Then, the amount is adjusted to make sure schools with high rates of poverty, children with disabilities and English-language learners receive extra resources. What's in it for your school? District-by-district aid estimates were crunched by NYSUT's Research and Educational Services staff and may be viewed on the Educational Conference Board Web site, www.nysecb.org. The New York State Educational Conference Board is a coalition of the major statewide education groups representing parents, teachers, school board members, superintendents, school business officials and other administrators. For more information, see www.cfequity.org . |
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