ALBANY — Many school districts, including some on Long Island, would see a rare reduction in state aid compared with the current year under the $233 billion budget proposal Gov. Kathy Hochul will present to the State Legislature on Tuesday, according to Budget Director Blake Washington.
Washington said that after three years of record spending, Hochul will propose ending the “hold harmless” clause that has been part of state school aid for decades. That provision has meant that school districts could depend on getting at least as much school aid as in the previous year.
Hochul’s budget proposal will be negotiated with the Democratic leaders of the Senate and Assembly, which traditionally results in increases in spending over the proposals by governors. A budget is due by April 1.
Washington told Newsday Monday night that after increasing state school aid by $7 billion over the last three years, with an additional $13 billion increase in federal aid during the same period, it’s time for the state to provide a more sustainable level of funding. The change is needed to make sure that high-needs schools get the funding they need, he said.
The Hochul administration made the decision based on the amount of reserves and surpluses that many moderate- and lower-needs school districts have. All school districts have reached their maximum reserves except the “big five” of New York City, Yonkers, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo city schools, Washington said.
Washington declined to identify, until Tuesday afternoon, the districts that won’t see an increase.
“I’m sure that Long Island schools will be on the list,” he said.
Washington said the aid figures will be based on the state’s “foundation aid formula,” which includes factors such as enrollment and the local community’s wealth. As a formula, results normally would rise and fall, but the “hold harmless” practice prevented any school district from receiving less aid than in the prior…
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