New York’s students have shown great resilience over the course of this difficult year. From mandatory shutdowns that kept our kids from learning and socializing in-person to swiftly being forced to adapt to the challenges of virtual learning, this school year was unlike any other, and our students stepped up to the plate and reminded us of their strength during these challenging times.

This summer, I’ll once again be hosting the Summer Reading Challenge to continue encouraging young people to read, learn and grow, because learning doesn’t – and shouldn’t – end when we leave the classroom. I’m encouraging all Central New York students to participate in the Assembly’s Summer Reading Challenge by reading 15 minutes a day for 40 days. This year's theme, “Tails and Tales,” encourages our youngest to explore all the wonders of the natural world around us and the wild within. Together, we can build on existing knowledge and discover the world through reading. I encourage anyone who’s interested to keep an eye out for the Summer Reading Challenge calendar, which will be distributed at local schools in the coming months.

This program is just one of the many commitments to education I’ve made over the past year. Our kids deserve the help and support they need to not only recover from this difficult pandemic, but to build a strong foundation that will help them flourish in the future, which is why I fought to ensure the 2021-22 budget included funding for educational services and programs across our state. To bolster public school education, I worked to increase Foundation Aid for our Assembly District by 6.43%, with a total increase of 9.98% for our local schools over last year. The Budget also makes a commitment to fully fund Foundation Aid over the next three years and provides $19.8 billion in Foundation Aid in this year’s Budget. In addition, I helped secure pre-K funding for six of 11 school districts that didn't receive it last year as a part of a larger effort to make pre-K education available to every family across the state.[1] The budget also provides $94.1 million in aid to public libraries this year and $34 million towards the construction and improvement of our libraries.

Visiting your local library is a great way for students to access books and complete the Summer Reading Challenge for free. Libraries are also a great way to access the internet and digital resources in areas where internet services are less accessible. Securing funding for local libraries is part of my duty to support education, and I encourage you to make the most of the resources available to your family.

Today's students are tomorrow's leaders. Providing a world-class education is important in today's global economy, and that’s why I will continue working hard to ensure our kids can excel. If you have any questions or concerns about the 2021-22 budget or any other issue, feel free to reach out to my office at 315-452-1115 or < a href="mailto:StirpeA@nyassembly.gov">StirpeA@nyassembly.gov.

[1] nyassembly.gov/Press/?sec=story&story=96446