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Hawley calls for reform reform state aid to school districts

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that he is sponsoring legislation to end the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA). Assembly Bill 8720 of 2014 seeks to end the education cuts that took place in 2009 and 2010. Hawley, along with many members of the Assembly Minority Conference, has been outspoken about restoring the GEA for several years. “School districts in New York State deserve to have these cuts restored,” Hawley said. 

“The legislature has had the financial means to restore this education aid for years now, and the apparent surplus this year should go directly to fund our schools. It is unfortunate to see good teachers being laid off and students being placed at a disadvantage because Albany couldn’t balance its budget. These cuts were never intended to be permanent, but the legislature is hesitant to repay them each budget cycle.”

Hawley’s comments come after members of the legislature made clear their plan to reintroduce Assembly Bill 8720 for the current legislative term. The new bill number is not known yet.

Peter O'Brien

If there was a section of the budget to fund the schools and money from lottery and racinos was used as a bonus, we wouldn't be in this situation.

But that is not how it works. If it was, then NY would have the best funded schools in the country.

Jan 15, 2015, 11:52am Permalink
Dave Olsen

Pete; We do have the best funded schools in the country. The problem is how & what the money gets spent on. If what you're saying is the lottery and racino money which is supposed to go to education should be put into a "lockbox". I agree. The money should then be block granted to each school district based on student numbers.

And I agree with Steve, its bad enough Albany wants to tell local school districts how to run everything, but they really have no justification to take some of the aid back. Especially when they are the cause of the high cost to begin with.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/05/23/heres-how-…

Jan 15, 2015, 1:47pm Permalink
Brian Graz

Perhaps along with fighting for getting the aid restored, other reforms should be pushed as well that would cut the cost of public school operation. Just one example would be [as it is done in N Carolina where my daughter lives] they have only one Board of Education for the entire county... not one for every district like we have in NYS.

Jan 16, 2015, 12:10am Permalink

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