Hearing On How NY Distributes Aid To Schools Scheduled On Long Island

LONG ISLAND, NY — The SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government is leading a comprehensive study of New York State's Foundation Aid Formula, and has scheduled a public hearing about it on Long Island.

Foundation Aid is the largest state education grant to local communities. The formula, established in 2007, determines the financial support provided to school districts across the state. However, it did not keep pace with the shifting demographics that brought great change to the school communities and the state did not fund the allocations fully.

One group of school districts on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley that annually received less than 55 percent of the Foundation Aid they were due banded together to lobby for years in Albany. They dubbed themselves the Harmed Suburban Five: the Riverhead Central School District, Glen Cove City School District, Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District, Ossining Union Free School District and Westbury School District.

They were the lowest funded in the state, receiving less than 50 percent of their allocated Foundation Aid based on the formula — while the average level of Foundation Aid funding for school districts across the state was 80 percent, Ossining school officials pointed out in 2020.

“The truth is that our district is in dire need of funding to help us address the growing needs of students,” Riverhead Superintendent of Schools Dr. Aurelia Henriquez said before a rally in 2020.

As calls for re-evaluation of Foundation Aid grew louder, the New York State Legislature mandated a comprehensive study of the 16-year-old formula. The findings will be compiled into a report scheduled for release by December.

As part of the study, researchers at the Rockefeller Institute are collecting feedback from the public and education stakeholders, including school families, teachers, staff, administrators, school boards, appointed and elected officials, education researchers and experts, and education-focused support and advocacy organizations.

Stakeholders can share input on the Foundation Aid formula in two ways:

• Provide verbal comment at a public hearing
• Submit written comment through an online form

One of the hearings will be held in Farmingdale.

The purpose of the hearings is to allow Rockefeller Institute researchers to listen directly to the education community and to record verbal feedback from a range of education stakeholders, center officials said. The others will be held in New York City, western New York, central New York and the Capital District.

If you're interested in speaking at the Farmingdale hearing, you must register in advance. Complete information and registration details can be found on the study website.

Also, now through Sept. 6, interested members of the public can also submit written feedback on the Foundation Aid formula online via the Written Comment Submission Form.