Regents seek $1.94 billion school aid boost

Rick Karlin
Albany Times Union
October 23, 2007

ALBANY — The state Board of Regents is calling for an additional $1.94 billion in next year’s school aid package, with the lion’s share going to schools that serve low-income students.

“That’s a considerable increase,” Education Commissioner Richard Mills said, adding that under the Regents proposal, which the governor and Legislature would have to approve, all the school districts in New York would get at least 2 percent more in their base, or “foundation aid,” allotment.

This is the second year that state aid is being given out in this way, which was meant to simplify what had been a complex array of school funding streams. Seventy-three percent of the increase is proposed for “high needs” school districts, up from 65 percent last year.

Among the priorities the Board of Regents lists in its budget proposal: increasing pre-K funding by $104 million to $535 million; expanding career and technical education programs in the Big Five districts of New York City, Yonkers, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo; and continued funding of the Contract for Excellence, an initiative of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s in which 1,648 schools in 56 districts will get extra funding, but will have to choose from a list of prescribed changes such as a longer school day or more tutoring.

“That was really the dramatic event of last year,” Mills said, explaining that the Regents are finalizing details of the contracts.