This past Sunday, April 9th, the New York State budget negotiation process was finally completed, with the Assembly, the Senate and the Governor coming to an agreement on the budget. By the end of Sunday, both houses had passed the 2017-2018 budget and the Governor had affixed his signature.

“There are many great things in this budget, but one of the things I’m proudest of is the investment we made in education. It’s the best in a very, very long time,” said Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato. “I came into politics through work as a school parent, and we’ve struggled under New York’s unfair, convoluted education funding system. But after decades of cuts, rising demand and stagnation of effort, this year’s budget not only fully reinvests in long-overdue funding at both the K-12 and college levels, but it includes bold new initiatives to make education more accessible, affordable and effective for all.”

The 2017-2018 education budget includes:

• The so all New Yorkers can access excellent public higher education
• A $1 billion increase in base education aid, for a total of $25.7 billion.
• A $700 million increase in Foundation Aid, for a total of $17.2 billion.
• $817 million in funding for Pre-K
• $35 million for after-school programs
• $25 million for security upgrades to nonpublic schools, community centers and daycare facilities at risk of hate crimes or attacks
• $300,000 for cyberbullying prevention
• - $25 million for technology projects at nonpublic schools
• $1.5 million in restorations for the Consortium for Worker Education (CWE), to provide career training and job placement services, as well as $250,000 for an enhanced credentialing program
• $16.7 million for Early College High School programs, which help at-risk students earn both a high school diploma and an Associate’s degree
• $5 million to expand half-day and full-day prekindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds
• $2 million for Advance Placement (AP) Test Assistance
• $2 million for the Master Teachers Program
• $400,000 for Excellence in Teaching Awards
• $103 million in funding for schools for the blind and deaf
• $20 million for Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers
• $1 million to restore funding for adult literacy education
• $1.2 million for regional community schools and technical centers
• $5 million to hire STEM teachers and $7 million for costs related to complying with immunization requirements