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Vol. XIV, No. 11

LEGISLATIVE ALERT

VIA FACSIMILE

TO: New York State Association of Small City School Districts

FROM: Robert Biggerstaff, Esq.

DATE: April 17, 2000

RE:  STATE BUDGET 2000-2001 (EDUCATION)

                                          __________________________

          The Education Subcommittee reconvened on Monday, April 17^tthe at 12:30 to complete its deliberations and to announce the final agreement on education aid which had been reached over the weekend.  Assemblyman Sanders announced that the total increase in state aid would be $635 Million (State fy) or $1.092 Billion (School fy) representing a record 8.7% increase in aid to education.  In addition, nearly $133 Million would also be made available in aid programs outside general support for education resulting in a total increase of $1.225 Billion.

          The increase was explained as follows:

1)      General Operating Aids- $369.9 Million increase representing 34% of total increase

a.                  Comprehensive Operating Aid - $293.9 Million with 2% minimum increase and an increase in transition cap.

b.                  Operating Standards Aid - $35.7 Million with part going to high needs districts and $12 Million through PASS to reward districts showing improvement.

c.                  Summer School Aid - $35.1 Million (new)

d.                  Tax Freeze/Limitation Aid - $5 Million increase

2)      Ladder – fully funded with $259 Million increase

a.                  Universal Pre-K Aid - $141 Million increase with $2700 minimum and provision allowing districts which cannot use money in one year to retain allocation for next year. 

b.                  Class Size Reduction Aid – $67.1 Million increase

c.                  Minor Maintenance Aid – full restoration of $50 Million

d.                  Full Day K Aid – full restoration

3)      Shared Services Aid - $5 Million increase

4)      Extended Day/Violence Prevention Aid – increase of $5 Million to $32 Million

5)      Professional Development Grants – increased from $5 to $10 Million

6)      BOCES Aid – full restoration with $34 Million increase

7)      Building Aid - $228 Million increase and acceptance of Governor’s proposal regarding timing of bond issues but not regarding state recapture of interest.

8)      Transportation Aid - $79 Million increase

9)      ENA – reject freeze, $12 Million increase

10)     Private Excess Cost Aid – reject reductions

11)     Public Excess Cost Aid – reject Executive proposals

12)    Instructional Support Aids – restoration

13)    Other aids were allowed to increase in accordance with present law including ERSSA, LEP and Bilingual Education.

          The following aid programs had previously been agreed upon:

1)      Teacher Support Aid - $67.5 Million

2)      Teacher Centers Aid - $30 Million, $10 Million increase

3)      Teacher Mentor Aid – restoration of $5 Million

4)      Special Aid to Small City School Districts (Hurd Aid) – frozen, $6 Million increase

5)      National Board for Teaching Standards - $1 Million

          The following aid programs were agreed upon in concept but specific amounts had not been fixed:

1)      Libraries

2)      853 Schools and Special Act School Districts

3)      Capital items – including Public TV funding. 

          These last three are to be resolved by the Committee on Conference within the next ten days since the target for Budget passage has tentatively been set at Passover.  This will be a tight timetable since much of the actual Budget language remains to be drafted.  As always, once the Budget becomes available, we will attempt to review and summarize its provisions as soon as possible.