Ossining, NY – State Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg has released the following statement regarding the specifics of Governor Kathy Hochul’s education budget proposal for fiscal year 2025: 

“The specifics of Governor Hochul’s proposal for next year’s education funding, including the school aid runs released Wednesday, are very disappointing. While it might not be reasonable to expect increases as large as those of the past two years, in which the State made up for years of disinvestment, many districts would actually see cuts in their aid, in relative and absolute terms, under this proposal. It is not fair to our school districts, or the children they serve, to take away the certainty of ‘hold harmless’ without warning. This proposal would force school districts to choose between making cuts or raising taxes. At a time when working- and middle-class families are already struggling, an education proposal that could lead to property tax increases is ill-advised and regressive. 

If we are looking to right-size education aid, ensuring that money goes where it is most needed, we should not start by abruptly removing a principle that school districts have relied upon for decades. We should instead take this opportunity to review the Foundation Aid formula to make sure it is up to the task of serving our school children. There are several bills that propose to do this, including A4919, of which I am a co-sponsor. In the coming weeks, I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that we do not reverse the progress we have made toward fully funding our schools. While we work to fix the aid formula, we must make sure that all students in the state can receive the quality public education they need and deserve.”