District News

State budget includes almost $76,000 restoration in school aid for Canajoharie

 

April, 2011

 

On March 30, the New York State Legislature passed an on-time state budget for 2011-12 that includes a modest restoration of school aid. Canajoharie Central School District will receive an additional $75,894 more than originally projected in the governor’s proposed budget. In spite of the additional funds, the district still faces a $703,513 reduction in state aid for 2011-12 from the current year.

The Legislature restored approximately $230 million in general support for public schools. Canajoharie will now receive $10,981,712 in state aid for 2011-12, down from the $11,685,225 it received in 2010-11.

"I appreciate our legislators’ efforts to restore some of the state aid that had been cut in the governor's proposed budget, but much work remains to correct the way the state distributes school aid so that students in the poorest districts have the same opportunities as those in more wealthy areas of the State,” said Superintendent Richard Rose.

“Every child has not been treated the same in the State of New York, especially those in rural poor areas. That has to change."

The added funding does not increase the district’s projected aid, it merely reduces what was cut under the governor’s Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA). Gov. Paterson and Gov. Cuomo both used the GEA to address the state’s budget deficit by reducing the aid that the state is legally required to provide schools

The GEA is calculated using a complex formula to determine a communities wealth and ability to fund its schools. Many school officials across the state claim the GEA formula is unfair to upstate schools, cutting aid to those districts disproportionately to wealthier downstate schools. Some of the poorest school districts are seeing the largest percentage cuts under the current plan.