Albany, New York- Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-South Queens) announced that the 2019-20 state budget continues the Assembly’s commitment to expanding opportunity for our youngest New Yorkers by increasing funding for public schools by $1 billion over last year and putting a college degree within reach for more students.

“Our students and children deserve stronger schools and a well-rounded education,” said Pheffer Amato. “They’re relying on us to prepare them for the future. That’s why I fought for a state budget that helps make sure a student is never defined by their ZIP code, income or the color of their skin, but rather by the motivation they show, the creativity that inspires them and the hard work they put in.”

The state budget provides a total of $27.8 billion in education funding, an increase of $1 billion – or 3.7 percent –Furthermore, $30 million of uncollected lottery winnings is earmarked for public schools, and districts are authorized to create a reserve fund to finance contributions to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. Additionally to help more kids get started on the right foot, the spending plan also includes a $15 million increase in funding for grants for prekindergarten, for a total of $822 million.

The plan also rejects the executive proposal to consolidate 11 expense-based aids, including BOCES aid, special services aid and transportation aid, and allows them to be reimbursed at their present levels.

To ensure local school districts can adopt teacher and principal evaluation systems best suited to their students’ needs, the budget includes legislation removing the mandate that state-created or administered assessments be used for evaluations. The Assembly has led the way on this issue, spearheading the measure last year and passing it again earlier this year. Pheffer Amato noted that this will allow teachers to craft lesson plans that are most effective for their students rather than following a cookie-cutter approach that could leave some of our young learners behind.

Further, the plan helps districts save money by allowing them to enter into piggyback contracts for the transportation of students. Additionally, the budget increases funding for New York City transportation after 4 p.m. by $500,000 for a total of $19.4 million to help ensure every child gets home safely.

Giving a voice to vulnerable students

The Assembly has always fought to support students and families who have endured or are experiencing unimaginable hardships, helping ensure that a child’s circumstances do not prevent them from getting a high-quality education. To that end, the spending plan allocates a $50 million increase in Community Schools Aid, for a total of $250 million, as well as expands its use to include trauma-informed support. It also provides $450,000 for the New York City Community Learning Schools Initiative.

“Community schools have transformed our neighborhoods,” said Pheffer Amato. “They provide vital support to at-risk children and their families, including mentoring, health care, summer programs and job training, helping to address issues that impede student achievement.”

To further assist families already struggling to make ends meet and help ensure that students’ focus is on learning, not hunger, the budget includes $2.3 million so that eligible students no longer have to pay for reduced-priced meals. To ensure that students whose primary language is not English have an equal opportunity to learn and succeed, the budget increases funding for bilingual education by $1 million for a total of $18.5 million, as well as restores $770,000 for training programs for bilingual or multilingual education teachers. It also provides $1 million for the translation of state exams.

Additionally, the budget restores $2 million for the Supportive Schools grant program, created in last year’s state budget to help school districts across the state foster inclusive environments and implement the Dignity for All Students Act. The plan also includes $1.5 million for mental health grants for junior high schools.

Investing in our schools and teachers

To further strengthen education services, the budget includes:

• a $10 million increase in funding for nonpublic Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers, for a total of $30 million, which is $15 million more than last year;
• $14 million in restorations for Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers;
• a $10 million increase for afterschool programs;
• $1.5 million in restorations for the Consortium for Worker Education (CWE), for a total of $13 million, to provide career training and job placement services;
• a $1.5 million restoration for adult literacy education, for a total of $7.8 million;
• a $1 million increase in funding for 4201 schools, servicing blind and deaf students, for a total of $103.9 million;
• $1 million for nonpublic immunization record reimbursement;
• $1 million to help schools increase access to advanced courses;
• a $500,000 increase for independent living centers, which operate on a self-help model and promote inclusion and integration of New Yorkers with disabilities and their families in all aspects of community life, for a total of $13.8 million;
• $500,000 in restorations for the SUNY autism center;
• $475,000 in restorations for the Executive Leadership Institute;
• $475,000 for the Magellan Program; and
• a $250,000 increase in funding for public broadcasting for a total of $14.3 million.

Opening up more doors to higher education

“Our commitment to New York’s students doesn’t end when they walk across the stage at their high school graduation,” said Pheffer Amato. “The next part of their life is just beginning, and each and every one of them deserves the chance to go to college. That’s why we’ve worked so hard to make it affordable for every family – because college should be for all, not just the privileged and wealthy.”

The budget continues the Excelsior Scholarship, which was established in 2017 and makes SUNY and CUNY schools tuition-free for eligible New Yorkers. The income eligibility threshold increases this year to $125,000. Students who attend a private college in New York and have a family income of less than $125,000 this year would also be eligible for a scholarship award of $6,000.

Strengthening public and community colleges

The 2019-20 state budget also invests in SUNY and CUNY schools, as well as community colleges across the state. The plan:

• allocates $12.1 million to SUNY, and $6.1 million to CUNY, to increase community college base aid by $100 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, bringing the total rate to $2,947;
• provides $6 million more for Educational Opportunity Centers (EOCs), for a total of $61 million;
• restores $2.5 million in funding for the CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP);
• provides $1.1 million to SUNY and $902,000 for CUNY for Child Care Centers; and
• restores $1 million to Advanced Technology Training and Information Networking (ATTAIN) labs for a total of $5.5 million.

The budget also allows SUNY and CUNY schools to reduce or waive tuition for high school students enrolled in college courses, supporting those who want to get a head start on the journey to a college degree.

Additionally, the budget:

• restores $4.5 million for the Foster Youth College Success Initiative to support foster students on their path to higher education;
• restores $1.5 million for the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, formerly known as the Joseph S. Murphy Institute;
• restores $700,000 for Small Business Development Centers, which offer business counseling and entrepreneurial training;
• restores $600,000 for Graduate Diversity Fellowships;
• restores $500,000 for mental health services and telecounseling at SUNY;
• provides $200,000 for the SUNY Institute for Leadership and Diversity and Inclusion;
• provides $150,000 for the Hispanic Leadership Institute at SUNY; and
• allocates $100,000 to the Center for Women in Government.

Supporting college opportunity programs

The Assembly Majority has long recognized how invaluable college opportunity programs are to ensuring disadvantaged New Yorkers are given a fair chance to pursue higher education. This year’s state budget restores $23.8 million to these programs, providing:

• $35.5 million for the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP);
• $32.2 million for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP);
• $28.1 million for Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK);
• $18.4 million for Liberty Partnerships;
• $15.8 million for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP);
• $11.9 million for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP); and
• $1.3 million for College Discovery.

“College opportunity programs help ensure that all New Yorkers have a successful future,” said Pheffer Amato. “They provide promising, hardworking students the tools and resources needed to pursue their college dreams.”