NEW YORK – EdTrust–New York acknowledges some positive developments in the final budget, but we are deeply disappointed that state leaders failed to invest in key educational equity priorities, such as literacy. We are also concerned that changes to the Foundation Aid formula will reduce school funding for high-needs districts.

Below are EdTrust-New York’s reactions to the finalized budget.

Early Childhood

EdTrust-New York convenes Raising NY (RNY), a statewide early childhood coalition that prioritizes three key areas:

Reducing Childhood Poverty

• We applaud the State’s historic expansion of the Empire State Child Credit, the first since its inception. While not the Working Families Tax Credit we supported, the expanded Credit now provides $1,000 to tax filing families for each child under age four and $500 for each child from age four to 16. Most importantly, it eliminates what is known as the “phase-in,” a policy that prevented the lowest income families from accessing the full credit. This is a huge win for families, and for the State’s Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council.

Child Care

• The Enacted Budget includes $400M to help close a funding shortfall caused by expanding access to child care assistance and increasing the market rate for providers/educators. $350M is available to any county that can provide a match; $50M is available to counties outside of NYC, with no match required.
• Unfortunately, there was still no investment in a permanent state child care fund dedicated to increasing worker compensation. RNY will continue to work with the Empire State Campaign for Child Care and others on establishing a fund and on creating a career lattice/salary scale for the workforce.
• Finally, the coalition supports the Child Care Availability Task Force’s recommendation to create a substitute pool and looks forward to working with the soon-to-be-established business/labor leader coalition on revenue raisers.

Maternal and Child Health

• The Enacted Budget does not include a 5% rate increase or a study of the current Early Intervention system.
• The Enacted Budget flat funds home visiting but does allocate $9M for the Baby2Baby newborn baby box initiative; we look forward to working with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) on disseminating this new resource via home visitors. We are also pleased to see funding for the newborn baby benefit, which could be another opportunity to connect expectant and new parents to home visiting and other services.

PreK-12 Education

Foundation Aid

EdTrust–New York is deeply concerned that the Governor has taken only one recommendation from the Rockefeller Institute’s foundation aid study, the update to how the state measures poverty, while ignoring its equally critical proposal to weight funding for concentrated poverty. By omitting this key element, the Governor has made the foundation aid formula less progressive. Rather than directing more resources to high-need districts, this change shifts funding away from those very communities and toward low-need districts. At the same time, the Governor claims to be increasing support for large districts like the Big 5. In reality, the only reason high needs districts are receiving more funding is because of demographics shifts in student populations, not because of any deliberate policy decision to meet their student’s needs.

Meanwhile, the Governor has chosen not to address the outdated “hold harmless” provision, which continues to funnel money to districts with declining enrollment. The result is a troubling step backward. A formula once considered among the most progressive in the nation is now being dismantled by choices that undermine equity and shortchange the students who need the most support. See our full statement on foundation aid here.

Literacy

New York schools continue to face a literacy crisis and EdTrust-New York is deeply disappointed the final budget failed to include new funding for literacy and the science of reading. The 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) revealed more than half of Black and Latinx students in New York scored Below Basic in fourth-grade reading. Below Basic is the lowest performance level on NAEP and indicates that students lack even partial mastery of reading skills needed for future success.

While last year’s Back to Basics literacy initiative took an important first step in ensuring all students and educators receive instruction and training aligned with the science of reading, it’s not nearly enough to improve student outcomes at scale. At the same time, significant questions remain about how the state will enforce Back to Basics curriculum requirements, particularly for districts that continue to use disproven instructional practices.

State leaders must address these unsatisfactory outcomes by prioritizing literacy as a comprehensive multi-year investment that incentivizes districts to align instruction and professional learning with the science of reading. Many states have successfully followed this formula, resulting in improved reading outcomes for all students and New York must adopt a similar sense of urgency to address this crisis.

College in High School

EdTrust-New York commends the State for a new investment and policy reforms for College in High School programs in the final budget, although at a lower funding level than originally proposed by the Governor. We are committed to collaborating with NYSED and other state leaders to implement these changes in ways that enhance program quality and expand access for students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.

Emerging Literacy

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

The early years of a child’s life are critical for reading and brain development, and this program is proven to enhance Kindergarten readiness. We are disappointed that the Executive Budget proposed $7M for statewide expansion and the Enacted Budget included only $1M.

Higher Education

Free Tuition at Community Colleges for High-Need Fields

EdTrust-New York is pleased the budget includes support for a new program to provide free community college for students ages 25-55 pursuing associate degrees in high-demand fields, including teaching, nursing, technology, and engineering. The plan to cover tuition, fees, books, and supplies at SUNY and CUNY associates degree programs will expand economic opportunities across our state and prepare our workforce for the jobs of the future. We are also pleased that this investment will expand apprenticeship opportunities and programs that connect students with job opportunities which are critical to facilitating entry into the workforce.

ASAP/ACE

EdTrust-New York applauds the budget’s expansion of SUNY and CUNY ASAP and ACE programs, which provide evidence-based academic, financial, and personal support to students. SUNY’s initial investment in ASAP and ACE have increased graduation rates at campuses by 25–69 percent, with particularly high impact for Black and Latinx male students. The state’s continued investment in ASAP and ACE will expand the number of campuses and students participating in these important programs.

TAP Expansion

EdTrust-New York is pleased by the budget’s changes to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) which will expand eligibility and access for part-time students. TAP is a critical tool for helping students to afford college in New York and these changes will help part-time students balance college with work and family demands.

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About EdTrust-New York:

EdTrust-New York is dedicated to eliminating equity and opportunity gaps that hinder students from reaching their full potential. We focus on ensuring that students of color, including Black, Latinx, Native American, and Asian American and Pacific Islander students, and those from low-income backgrounds achieve high levels of success from early childhood through college. For more information, visit EdTrustNY.org.