WI Schools to Receive Additional $358K in State Aid

New York State Governor Andrew Couomo's first 2012-13 education budget proposal includes a $345,441 increase in state aid for the West Islip School District.

The number represents a 1.52 percent increase over the current year.  Without adding in building and transportation aid, the district would receive a total of $29,433,175 from NYS for the 2012-13 budget. 

While this may be a small increase (last year West Islip lost about $3 million in state funding), the district still has to figure out a way of trimming down the 2012-13 projected school budget of $114.1 million, which is a 6.5 percent increase and nearly 11 percent tax levy hike from the current budget.

Cuomo’s “2012-13 Executive Budget and Reform Plan” features a total increase of $805 million in school aid, of which $56.3 million will be distributed to Long Island districts. The state aid figures will not be finalized for a few months as the governor and the legislature hammer out the details of the state budget.

The total budget includes $250 million for performance grants linked to improved academic performance and management efficiency via a formal enhanced teacher evaluation process that must be created within the year. Failure to do so could mean forfeiting aid increases this year and next, according to a press release.

Check back tomorrow for an updated article with quotes from school administration officials.