Assemblyman Thiele: Final 2021-22 State Budget Includes $29.1 Billion in School Aid, Fully Phases in Foundation Aid
Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. today announced that the final SFY 2021-22 state budget includes $29.1 billion in funding to General Support for Public Schools (GSPS), an increase of $3.1 billion, or 12 percent, over the 2020-21 School Year (SY).
The 2021 budget increases Foundation Aid by $1.4 billion for a total of $19.8 billion. This would be a full one-third of what will be provided to schools statewide over the next three years as a part of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity obligation, for a total of $4.2 billion. This funding commitment will fully phase in Foundation Aid over the course of three years, with school districts receiving at least 60% of their Foundation Aid funding for the 2021-22 school year. In the 1st Assembly District, this is especially impactful in the Riverhead Central School District and the Hampton Bays School District, which have been extremely underfunded and have remained below 50% for full implementation of Foundation Aid in the past. All school districts in the 1st Assembly district are receiving an increase in funding.
AID TO EDUCATION IN 1ST ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
| School District | Increase in Total State Aid ($) | % Increase |
| William Floyd | 22,009,470 | 17.32 |
| Center Moriches | 475,995 | 3.66 |
| East Moriches | 165,017 | 2.43 |
| East Hampton | 344,281 | 10.69 |
| Amagansett | 28,150 | 7.21 |
| Springs | 519,835 | 40.31 |
| Sag Harbor | 129,035 | 7.50 |
| Montauk | 157,250 | 20.11 |
| Riverhead | 14,074,434 | 42.08 |
| Shelter Island | 40,408 | 6.43 |
| Remsenburg/Speonk | 3,010 | 0.46 |
| Westhampton Beach | 186,580 | 7.80 |
| Quogue | 35,531 | 9.67 |
| Hampton Bays | 2,685,219 | 43.42 |
| Southampton | 329,258 | 11.75 |
| Bridgehampton | 48,016 | 5.62 |
| Eastport South Manor | 1,218,961 | 3.25 |
| Tuckahoe | 89,800 | 8.60 |
| East Quogue | 224,069 | 16.03 |
In addition to state funding, New York has received over $12 billion in federal funding to address pandemic related education costs, including but not limited to remediating learning loss, ensuring that school facilities are properly equipped to keep students and staff safe, purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean facilities, purchasing education technology, providing mental health services and support, and addressing the needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English language learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
Assemblyman Thiele stated, “While a year of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all, it has been especially difficult for our students, parents and teachers. The Assembly has always made it an utmost priority to invest in our schools and will continue to do so. I am proud to have supported the inclusion of this vital aid in the final budget, which provides essential funding to our school districts here on the East End and across the state.”