Local schools get funding boost in Hochul budget

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 January 2022 at 10:19 am

$4 million increase in state aid among 5 school districts

The local school districts would get funding increases in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s state budget proposal.

The five school districts in Orleans County – Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina – would see a combined increase of $2,575,615 in Foundation Aid and $4,083,015 in total state aid.

The breakdown for each district includes:

Albion – Foundation Aid up 3.00 percent or by $669,226, from $22,307,559 to $22,976,785. Total state aid up 1.48 percent or by $429,558, from $28,998,219 to $29,427,777.
Holley – Foundation Aid up 6.02 percent or by $659,179, from $10,941,047 to $11,600,226. Total state aid up 7.57 percent or by $1,314,422, from $17,361,095 to $18,675,517.
Kendall – Foundation Aid up 4.52 percent or by $367,633, from $8,138,171 to $8,505,804. Total state aid up 4.54 percent or by $634,283, from $13,984,659 to $14,618,942.
Lyndonville – Foundation Aid up 4.85 percent or by $323,396, from $6,674,631 to $6,998,027. Total state aid up 5.96 percent or by $627,901, from $10,536,659 to $11,164,560.
Medina – Foundation Aid up 3.00 percent or by $556,181, from $18,539,370 to $19,095,551. Total state aid up 3.84 percent or by $1,076,851, from $18,539,370 to $19,095,551.

Hochul’s executive budget sets $31.3 billion in total school aid, which is up by $2.1 billion or 7.1 percent. That includes a $1.6 billion Foundation Aid increase and a $466 million increase in all other school aid programs.

“It’s definitely helpful for us this year, and will help us to overcome the inflationary pressures we are facing in the budget this year, particularly in heating and fuel costs,” said Mark Kruzynski, Medina district superintendent.

Medina’s increase would be 3 percent in Foundation Aid, and 3.8 percent in overall state aid. That is less than many other districts.

“While the 3 percent Foundation Aid increase isn’t the jaw dropping increase that many wealthier suburban districts are slated to receive, our Foundation Aid was not held back as much as those districts were during the previous 10 years,” Kruzynski said.

The New York State School Boards Association praised Hochul for a budget that provides at least a 3 percent Foundation Aid increase to each of the 700 school districts in the state.

“The proposed 7.1 percent school aid increase would provide $1.6 billion in additional Foundation Aid in 2022-23 and would enable individual school districts to direct the aid where it is needed most, while easing potential impacts on local taxpayers,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Robert S. Schneider. “The minimum 3 percent Foundation Aid increase Gov. Hochul has proposed for districts already at full funding also is welcome as all districts face increasing costs.”

State legislators will weigh in on the governor’s budget proposal in the coming months with a budget deadline on April 1.