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| A L E R T: 2006-07 School Aid Executive Budget Proposal February 17, 2006 Click here to see how the Governor's budget will impact your district.A L E R T February 17, 2006
We have placed on the NYSUT web site (www.nysut.org) under the "State Budget Updates" a link "2006-07 School Aid Executive Budget Proposal" for you to access your state budget information. Please select your district and see how the budget will impact your district. It is important to make your legislators and your members aware of the impact of these reductions on your district. The Governor's Budget has been touted as the highest increase in state aid ever proposed by a Governor. While this statement may be factually accurate, the executive budget has some hidden surprises that make it particularly onerous to local school districts. First, a large proportion of the statewide increase is held back by the Division of Budget for distribution at a later time. The Governor's proposed increase in Sound Basic Education aid, which helped the high need districts last year, is not being distributed using last year's formula. Under the Governor's proposal, it will be distributed by the Director of the Division of Budget at a later date. Second, the Executive Budget freezes BOCES aid which has the effect of cutting $60 million that districts were counting on for reimbursement of expenses incurred in the 2005-06 school year. If enacted, local school districts will have to make up for these cuts. Under this proposal, local school districts will receive last year's aid amount or the amount generated by the formula if it is less than last year's amount. Third, the Executive Budget proposes a large cut in the private excess cost aid formula. This formula provides reimbursement to local school districts for the cost of students with disabilities who are educated in private placements. Currently the state provides 85 percent reimbursement to school districts of average wealth with a minimum reimbursement of 50 percent. The Governor's proposal cuts this reimbursement to 49 percent for an average wealth district which is below the current minimum. This change produces a cut of $109 million. |
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