NEW YORK, NY — EdTrust-New York welcomes the final state budget’s support for several of our educational equity priorities. The budget commits $4.5 billion to universal child care and Pre-K, allocates $30 million for K-12 priorities, including math and literacy instruction, high-impact tutoring, and College in High School programming, and provides $1 million for Emergency Aid at SUNY and CUNY.  We also appreciate the new safeguards included in the budget to protect immigrant students’ access to education at a time when students and families need additional support and clear reminders that all children belong in school. Finally, we support the changes to the Foundation Aid formula, which direct more funding to students who face the greatest barriers to opportunity, including those experiencing homelessness, those in foster care, and English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners 

At the same time, we are disappointed that the final budget does not go far enough on priorities that would improve education outcomes, particularly for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. The budget omits a comprehensive, multi-year investment in evidence-based literacy instruction, an approach most other states have adopted, and fails to include new funding for child care workforce compensation, universal FAFSA implementation, and changes to state graduation measures. While EdTrust-New York welcomes the extension of mayoral control of New York City Public Schools, we are disappointed that the budget does not extend voting rights for student representatives on Community Education Councils, especially when student, family, and community voices are critical. 

EdTrust-New York will continue working with the Governor and the Legislature to address these gaps, support implementation of new investments, and ensure that educational equity remains central to future policy and budget decisions. 

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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 all students, especially 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.