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New York education budget talks focus on $1.4 billion boost to foundation aid and pre-K expansion
Summary
At the March 18 Education Budget Conference Committee meeting, Senate and Assembly leaders outlined competing and overlapping priorities including a $1.4 billion Assembly increase to foundation aid, a 2% minimum increase for districts, new weights for foster‑care and homeless students, larger ELL funding and expanded universal pre‑K; no formal votes were taken.
Assembly Chair Benedetto and Senate cochair Sen. Shelley Mayer opened the first joint Education Budget Conference Committee meeting on March 18 with broad agreement on increasing school funding but differing details about how to target it.
Assembly Chair Benedetto laid out the Assembly’s education proposal, saying it would increase foundation aid by $1.4 billion to $27.8 billion and raise the minimum district increase from 1% to 2%. He also described a suite of targeted changes including raising the English‑language‑learner factor in the pupil‑needs index, adding a new weight for students in foster care or experiencing housing instability, $600 million in class‑size reduction aid for New York City, and additional community‑schools and library funding.
Sen. Shelley Mayer, chair of the Senate Education Committee, said the Senate wants any modifications to the foundation aid formula to be responsive to student and district needs and specifically flagged proposals to add a weight for students experiencing homelessness or in foster care and to increase support for English‑language learners. “The senate is committed to making sure any modifications to the foundation aid formula are responsive to the needs of our students and districts,” she said.
Both sides described shared goals — more resources for special‑education programs, support for students with disabilities, and expanded early childhood education — while reserving detailed negotiations for follow‑up meetings. Benedetto listed additional line items the Assembly would seek, including $326.5 million to eliminate the prior‑year school aid claims check, $100 million in community‑schools funding outside an existing $250 million foundation set‑aside, $431 million the executive proposed for universal pre‑K, increases to 3‑K reimbursement with a $10,000 minimum per pupil for the rest of the state, and discrete boosts for library construction and operating aid.
Members from both houses underscored shared priorities but also raised structural concerns: Assembly minority members noted the foundation formula’s base has not been updated since 2016‑17 and said the regional cost index has not reflected current conditions for many districts. Speakers from both chambers urged that special‑education funding, evidence‑based reading programs, and library supports be preserved and expanded.
No formal motions or votes were taken. Sen. Mayer designated Catherine Fennell as the Senate recording secretary for the proceedings; Assembly Chair Benedetto designated Ben Levine as the Assembly recording secretary. The committee adjourned and will reconvene at the call of the general conference committee.
