FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 07, 2009
GOVERNOR PATERSON, CONGRESSWOMAN LOWEY AND CONGRESSMAN ENGEL ANNOUNCE EDUCATION FUNDING FOR ROCKLAND AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES
Federal Economic Recovery Act Allowed New York to Increase Education Aid by $1.2 billion
Aid to Rockland and Westchester County Districts Increases by More Than 5 Percent
Governor David A. Paterson, Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey, and Congressman Eliot L. Engel announced today that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will allow New York lawmakers to increase education aid by $1.2 billion. This federal funding allowed the Governor and State Legislature to enact a budget that eliminates proposed cuts to education aid, and includes additional funding for low-income students and special education. The Governor was joined at Congers Elementary School by the Nanuet High School Girl’s Varity Basketball Team, which recently won the Class B State Federation Championship.
“The education of our youth is a cornerstone of our State and nation’s futures,” said Governor Paterson. “I fought hard to ensure the education aid was a major component of the federal economic recovery package because investing in our children is the most critical responsibility of government. We would not have been able to make these significant increases to our school spending without the tireless work of our representatives in Washington – Congresswoman Lowey, Congressman Engel, Senator Schumer and the entire Congressional delegation. They fought for New York’s students, and they delivered. I also applaud my colleagues in the State Legislature for their work to create a budget that puts our children first.”
Senator Charles E. Schumer said: “Investing in our education system is wise in the short and long term,” Schumer said. “It is important that we continue to provide our students in Rockland County with the resources they need to succeed in the future. Simply put, we will not remain the greatest nation on earth without the greatest education system on earth.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said: “I welcome the Governor’s initiative to use the stimulus funds we passed in Congress to significantly increase essential State school aid to the children of Rockland and Westchester Counties. Investing in education is the most important investment we can make, and as a mother of two young kids, I will continue to fight in the Senate for the resources needed to provide all New Yorkers with a good education that is a critical foundation for success.”
Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey said: “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has prevented damaging cuts to schools and allowed our State to make the investments our children and grandchildren deserve, while helping school districts keep local taxes as low as possible. I fought tirelessly to ensure this federal funding would be distributed in a way that benefits all our students, and I am gratified this has paid off. I will continue working with Governor Paterson and our Congressional delegation to ensure New York students have every opportunity to learn and succeed.”
Congressman Eliot L. Engel said: “Every dollar we put into education will be returned to us many times over. This federal stimulus money will not only make our children ready for the future, it will help our economy immediately, and in the longer run, will make America stronger and better able to compete in the world. I thank Governor Paterson for his quick work in getting this money into our schools.”
State school aid will total approximately $21.9 billion in 2009-10, an increase of $404 million. This reflects the elimination of a proposed $1.1 billion Deficit Reduction Assessment through the through the use of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) Fiscal Stabilization Fund. When combined with other federal economic recovery aid through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ($454 million) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs ($398 million), support for school districts is expected to increase by $1.2 billion compared to 2008-09.
With this federal funding, Rockland County’s aid is projected to increase by 5.4 percent, and Westchester County’s funding is projected to increase by 5.7 percent.
The ARRA provides education funding to New York in the following ways:
Education Restorations: New York is expected to receive $2.5 billion out of a total of approximately $39 billion nationally that will be provided to restore proposed reductions in funding for education. The federal legislation requires that this money be used for that purpose. Half of the $2.5 billion is committed in 2009-10 and the remainder will be used in 2010-11.
Flexible Relief: New York is expected to receive $549 million out of a national total of approximately $9 billion nationally provided for other fiscal relief to state governments over the next two years. Half of this funding is committed for 2009-10 funding restorations to services such as Teacher Centers and student financial aid programs. The remainder will be committed in 2010-11.
Incentive Grants: An additional $5 billion in education grants will be available for states meeting key performance measures as determined by the United States Department of Education. While the amount New York would receive is subject to the grant awarding process, we expect that New York will be in a strong competitive position to receive substantial funding.
Title 1 Funding: New York is expected to receive $907 million out of a total of $13 billion nationally in Title I funding for high needs students, over two years. This funding will be provided directly to school districts through the State Education Department subject to specific federal formulas over which the State has no discretion.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Funding: New York is expected to receive $795 million out of a total of $12 billion nationally in IDEA funding for special education over the next two years. This funding will be provided directly to school districts through the State Education Department subject to specific federal formulas over which the State has no discretion.
Other major education funding for New York includes increasing the maximum award for Pell Grants by $500 (National Amount: $15.6 billion, State Share: $180 million), and providing substantial increased support for education technology (National Share: $650 million, State Share: $55.5 million).
