Statement from ASBO New York Executive Director on the Passage of the 2023-24 Enacted Budget

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 3, 2023

Contact:       
Brian Cechnicki
(518) 434-2281 x108brian@asbonewyork.org

Statement from ASBO New York Executive Director Brian Cechnicki on the Passage of the 2023-24 Enacted Budget

Albany, NY – Brian Cechnicki, ASBO New York Executive Director, released the following statement on the passage of the 2023-24 Enacted Budget:

“After over two decades of tireless efforts, the reality of a fully funded Foundation Aid formula has been, at long last, achieved. On behalf of our nearly 3,000 members and the children of New York State, we thank Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Heastie for their support and leadership for this momentous accomplishment.

The 2023-24 Enacted Budget is an achievement of which we can all be proud. In addition to the completion of the Foundation Aid phase-in, the state is taking important steps to provide universal meals to all students, with a $134 million investment toward an expansion of meals eligibility.

We are also pleased with the $150 million expansion of prekindergarten programs, and look forward to continuing to work with policymakers to ensure that the policy and funding designs will allow all eligible school districts to participate in creating or expanding programs.

Finally, we want to thank all three leaders for eliminating provisions in the school finance proposals that created unnecessary obstacles in utilizing the Foundation Aid funds and generated burdensome compliance exercises that diverted school district resources away from focusing on children’s education to instead complete complicated and burdensome reporting forms.”

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