Final Campaign for Fiscal Equity Ruling – School Funding Now in the Hands of the Governor-Elect and State Legislature

New York - On November 20, the State Court of Appeals handed down the final decision in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit, ordering the state to pay a minimum of $1.93 billion dollars to New York City Schools to begin redressing the gross funding inequities in the public school system. This was a dramatic reversal of the earlier court decisions that had ordered far more money to ensure that every public school student receive a “sound, basic education.”

The next move belongs to Governor-elect Spitzer, who during the election, set a much higher price tag – up to $8.5 billion for schools statewide and between $4 and $6 billion for New York City schools– for settling the suit. Spitzer’s initial response to the court decision was encouraging:

“The Court of Appeals has now determined the constitutionally-required amount of funding that must be provided to the New York City school district…As I have repeatedly stated, however, we must provide more statewide funding than this constitutional minimum, so that all of New York’s schoolchildren have the opportunity to thrive in the 21st century workplace.”

We remain optimistic that Governor Spitzer will keep his campaign promise to deliver the level of funding our schools need to produce an excellent education for all New York’s school children by proposing a budget that includes a multi-year phase in of the full $8.5 billion the schools need; with a substantial down payment appropriated in 2007. The negotiations will then move to the State Legislature to work out an agreement with the new Governor.

We stand ready to assist in this budget battle in every way we can.