Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Mid-Hudson) joined her colleagues in the legislature at a press conference, calling on the governor to increase school aid, in an equitable formula, by $1.9 billion in the 2014-15 state budget in order to overcome a slew of budget cuts and shortfalls. For the past several years schools across the mid-Hudson Valley have been asked to do more with less. While the funding increases included in the past two budgets have helped, they have not kept up with rising costs, and as a result our schools still have to make drastic cuts. The time is now to recommit in investing in our children’s education.

“Due to these cuts class sizes have increased, and important programs like art, music, foreign language, and college level courses have been cut,” said Assemblymember Barrett. “For many students small class sizes help them get the attention that they need to thrive –classes like art and music are the classes that inspire and motivate them to achieve. We need to restore, not cut, programs like these that are a point of engagement for many kids”

The New York State Constitution mandates that all children should receive a sound basic education; due to recent cuts this promise is not being fulfilled to our students. According to the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), 71 percent of the state’s school districts currently receive less aid than they did just five-years ago – with the state $5 billion behind on a 2007 financing agreement. At the press conference members of the legislature called on the governor to increase vital funding that has been cut over the past several years and to fulfill promises made to our children so that they may get a quality education – that is the foundation to their success and preparing them for the road ahead.

“We must invest in our children and I urge the governor to increase foundation aid for schools in this year’s budget,” Assemblymember Barrett said. “I will continue fighting to ensure that all our children are getting the education they need. Our children are the future and it is critical they get a quality education to succeed and compete in our global economy.”