Schenectady – As Schenectady prepares to be one of the seven locations for Saturday’s People’s March for Education Justice, Assemblymembers Angelo Santabarbara and Phil Steck issued a joint statement calling for the Foundation Aid formula to be fully funded. They also asked their colleagues in the Senate Majority to join them in the fight to ensure every New York student has the resources and support they need to succeed.

Schenectady schools are owed $51 million in Foundation Aid, part of $4.3 billion in funding which is owed statewide as a result of the 2007 Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit. Regionally, schools in Schenectady, Albany, Montgomery and Saratoga Counties are owed $151 million in Foundation Aid.

Assemblymembers Santabarbara and Steck have been at the forefront of pushing for more state aid for local schools, passing state budgets with record investments in public education and helping end the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) last year. Now, they’re calling on their colleagues in the state Assembly and Senate to continue the fight to fairly fund our schools so they can provide every student with a quality education that prepares them for the future.

“We’ve made it clear that we are committed to strengthening our public education system,” said Assemblymember Santabarbara. “Students deserve to reach their full potential, and as legislators, it’s up to us to help make sure that happens. We need to be their voice, and we need to take action.”

“New York students have a constitutional right to a good education,” said Assemblymember Steck. “Fairly funding our schools not only prepares our students for success in college and careers, but also helps grow our economy. I urge my Senate colleagues from the region to join in the push for the funding our schools need and deserve.”