With the new school year beginning, it is essential every New York student starts off on the right foot. As a proud father of two, providing the necessary resources and tools to support parents and ensure their children have access to a quality education is a top priority of mine.

We all want the best for our children and want to see them succeed. Throughout my time as an assemblyman, I have had the privilege of meeting and speaking with numerous superintendents, teachers, parents and students from across the 98^th Assembly District. I’ve attended breakfasts and dinners to celebrate student leaders, spoken at graduation events, met with school leaders, introduced student groups in the Assembly Chamber and given students and staff tours of the New York State Capitol in Albany.

I am committed to improving learning environments, educational opportunities and student safety statewide, and over the years, I have introduced several pieces of legislation to do just that.

Assembly Bill A.2279 would enact the “Educational Equity and Choice Act,” requiring private schools to work directly with the New York State Education Department to secure funding and reimbursement for mandated services such as busing, resources and special education needs for their students rather than relying on public schools to finance those services. This will take the additional financial burden off public schools and allow them to utilize their budgets for their students.

Assembly Bill A.2385 would take things a step further, ensuring that in districts where more than 25% of the student population attends private schools, public schools would not be responsible for financing private school services. Both these proposals would avoid creating financial division between public and private schools and ensure all students receive the quality, affordable education they deserve.

I was also proud to introduce Assembly Bill A.6104, which would allow local school districts and municipalities to determine and establish school speed limits rather than the New York State Department of Transportation. This would greatly reduce red tape and allow local residents, law enforcement and school districts to work together to determine the speed limits that would make the most sense for their areas, protecting students and community members alike.

As we start the new school year off strong, I wish all of our amazing students in the 98^th Assembly District the best of luck—review the back-to-school checklist below to be sure you are well prepared and have everything you need to hit the ground running. I wish everyone a happy back-to-school week!

2025 Back-to-School Checklist:

• Binders/folders
• Notebook/spare paper
• Writing utensils (pencils, pens, highlighters)
• Pencil case (complete with a pencil sharpener, glue sticks and erasers)
• Sturdy backpack
• Water bottle
• Healthy snacks