Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson (D-104) held a Foundation Aid Forum last week, bringing together school officials from the Mid-Hudson region for a conversation about how State aid impacts their budgets. Jacobson hosted the forum because the Rockefeller Institute, which is conducting a statewide study of the Foundation Aid formula, failed to include the Hudson Valley in its public hearings.

“Given the shock of last year's proposed budget by the Governor, school administrators, school board members, teachers, legislators and taxpayers alike are fearful of a ‘results-oriented’ report that could be used to make cuts in Foundation Aid,” Jacobson said. “One shock was the elimination of the ‘hold harmless’ provision, which guarantees that a district receives at least as much State aid as it did the year before. I voted for the budget last year, which restored hold harmless and cuts to Foundation Aid, but many school districts still received less funding than expected.”

Participants from several school districts said they were worried about the loss of “hold harmless” and how it would impact their ability to plan for the future. They also raised concerns about the current Foundation Aid formula, including its use of outdated data and not enough consideration for services for special education students and English Language Learners. Everyone agreed that school districts should not be penalized for careful spending and maintaining a fund balance for unforeseen expenses. And since districts must prepare their annual budgets in time for a May vote, predictability is also a must.

Their testimony was submitted to the Rockefeller Institute for consideration in its final report.

“When making decisions about Foundation Aid, it's important to look at the results on the ground, not from 10,000 feet up with preconceived positions,” said Jacobson. “For instance, we know that lower school enrollment does not necessarily mean lower costs for a school district. There are built-in costs, whether the average class size is 25 or 30. And while the hold harmless clause may seem like an easy response to reduced enrollment, eliminating this assurance of State aid will mean increases in property taxes, which is no solution at all.”

Assemblymember Christopher Eachus (D-99) also joined the panel. “As a teacher in the Hudson Valley for over 40 years, I know that teachers and school districts face more challenges than teaching the curriculum. School Districts should not have to worry about receiving sufficient State aid every year,” he said.

School district participants included Superintendents Dr. Jackielyn Manning Campbell (Newburgh), Joel Freer, (Highland), Dr. Matthew Landahl (Beacon), Michael McElduff (Highland Falls), Dr. Eric Rosser (Poughkeepsie), Michael Rydell (Marlboro), Dr. Janet Warden (Red Hook), and Assistant Superintendent Anthony White (Wallkill), along with John Daley, Senior Governmental Relations Representative for the New York State School Boards Association.

“It was a very informative discussion,” said Jacobson. “While enrollment in these districts ranges from 1,600 to 12,000, and each has unique challenges, they all have the same concerns when it comes to State funding. State aid needs to be fair, predictable and adequate. I will fight for this during the budget debate next year.”

The Rockefeller Institute is expected to issue its report and any recommendations by the end of the year. The Governor’s proposed budget comes out by the end of January, and the Legislature must adopt a final budget by April 1.