Assemblyman Al Stirpe (D-Cicero) announced he helped pass the 2017-18 state budget, which invests heavily in schools, education programs and college affordability.

“In today’s increasingly competitive job market, it’s vital we equip every student with the tools they need for the future,” Stirpe said. “From the day they enter the classroom to the day they graduate, we need to support them – breaking barriers and ensuring students have access to the resources that’ll help propel them forward.”

Investing in schools

The 2017-2018 state budget increases education aid by $1 billion for a total of $25.7 billion, a 4.1 percent increase from last year’s budget. Additionally, the state budget increases Foundation Aid for schools within the 127th Assembly District by $9.7 million for a total of nearly $300 million in state aid.

The breakdown for schools in the 127th Assembly District is below:

The budget also invests in an array of programs statewide, including:

• $817 million for prekindergarten programs;
• $35 million for after-school programs;
• $5 million to expand half-day and full-day prekindergarten programs in high-need school districts;
• $2 million for the Master Teachers Program;
• $400,000 for Excellence in Teaching Awards; and
• $300,000 for cyberbullying prevention programs.

“Helping our students succeed is not a one-time commitment,” said Stirpe. “We must stand behind them and give them what they need to move forward from day one onward.”

Helping more students attend college

Stirpe helped secure $400,000 for the On Point for College program, making college preparedness services more accessible to low-income youth in Central New York. On Point is a program that helps thousands of students apply to college and succeed when they get there, noted Stirpe. The budget also includes $2 million to help disadvantaged students afford Advanced Placement (AP) test fees.

Further, the 2017-18 state budget makes a substantial investment in SUNY schools and helps expand access to higher education through scholarship and opportunity programs.

“Many of our Central New York families struggle to make ends meet already and adding the burdens of college costs can be overwhelming,” said Stirpe. “This budget helps alleviate rising costs so more families can send their kids to college.”

The state budget provides funding to establish the Excelsior Scholarship to make SUNY schools tuition-free for eligible New Yorkers who earn less than $125,000 annually. Students who attend a private college in New York and earn less than $125,000 annually would also be eligible for a scholarship award of $6,000. To help students and their families meet the rising, non-tuition costs of college, the budget includes $8 million to help SUNY develop online educational resources to help alleviate the high cost of textbooks for students.

To ensure community colleges can continue helping students get ahead, the budget allocates $6.2 million to SUNY community colleges for an increase of $50 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, for a total of $2,747 per FTE student. The budget also includes $3.1 million for a new scholarship program for part-time students attending SUNY colleges so students with family or other responsibilities can finish school on their own schedules.

Additionally, the budget includes $100 million for SUNY in capital funding for maintenance and expansion purposes and an additional $450 million for SUNY for critical maintenance. Eighty-seven million dollars in funding was also secured for SUNY Health Science Centers to help strengthen teaching hospitals, as well as a restoration of $2 million for ATTAIN Labs, for a total of $6.5 million. These are the types of institutions that foster innovation and grow our local economy, noted Stirpe.

“My work doesn’t end with this budget,” said Stirpe. “I’ll continue pushing forward so that every student is afforded a fair and equal shot to reach their full potential.”