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Albany school board outlines state funding, teacher pipeline and mental‑health asks ahead of budget season

Albany City School District Board of Education · December 5, 2025
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Summary

District staff told the board it will press for more equitable school funding as the state rewrites its formula, request $300,000 to build a teacher pipeline through expanded CTE offerings and ask for $400,000 to create a four‑FTE Student Engagement Resource Team to address chronic absenteeism and social‑emotional needs.

The Albany City School District presented its legislative priorities to the Board of Education on Dec. 4, centering on funding disparities, workforce development and student mental‑health supports as state budget negotiations approach. Mr. Lesko, who led the presentation, said ‘‘at the top of our list is equitable school funding’’ as New York revises its foundation formula.

Lesko told the board the district is ‘‘probably at about $8,000 per pupil currently’’ for pre‑K funding while other districts receive nearer $10,000 per pupil, and that the district uses more than $1 million from its general fund to close gaps. ‘‘The gap is still more than $2,000,000 and that’s the level of funding that we’re going to be asking for again this year,’’ he said.

The committee also proposed steps to grow the teacher pipeline. Lesko said the district will request $300,000 to develop a CTE‑based teacher pathway that would reach down to middle school and create local residency/reskilling opportunities for district staff. ‘‘We want to grow a lot more of students like Kayla … to go to college and come back home and become teachers in our school district,’’ he said.

On student supports, the district proposed creating a Student Engagement Resource Team (SERT) composed of four full‑time equivalent positions and asked legislators for roughly $400,000 to underwrite those roles. The team would partner with county and community organizations to address chronic absenteeism and other social‑emotional needs, Lesko said.

Board members asked about the mechanics of the requests and whether state models exist for some proposals. Vice President Wilson asked about state initiatives for teacher recruitment and tuition forgiveness; Lesko pointed to existing teacher residency models and said the board should advocate for tuition‑reimbursement strategies as part of the pitch to Albany’s legislators.

Several board members urged adding language calling for more flexible community‑school funding so that designated community schools have sufficient operating dollars, and one member asked that requests for teacher‑pipeline funding include options such as residency stipends or housing incentives if appropriate.

The presentation concluded with plans to meet state budget staff and local lawmakers before January and to return to the board with more detailed advocacy materials in the new year.