Education Department, State

Note: Most recent estimates as of 12/16/08.

Mission

The State Education Department (SED) is the administrative agency of the Board of Regents. The Department’s primary mission is to oversee public elementary and secondary education programs throughout New York and promote educational excellence, equity and cost-effectiveness.

Budget Highlights

The Executive Budget recommends $30 billion in All Funds support ($19.4 billion General Fund; $10.6 billion Other Funds) for programs and operations of the State Education Department. This is a decrease of $1.96 billion ($0.20 billion General Fund; $1.76 billion Other Funds) from the 2008-09 budget. This net change primarily reflects a school year reduction of $698 million in School Aid, an appropriation decrease of $1.7 billion for STAR, special education modifications which reduce State funding by $114 million, and a Federal funds increase of $20 million.

Recommended staffing levels for 2009-10 are projected to total 3,199 positions at year’s end, with 394 positions, or approximately 12 percent, supported by the General Fund. Various dedicated fees, charge-backs and Federal grants will support the remaining staff.

SCHOOL AID

The 2009-10 Executive Budget proposes $20.7 billion in School Aid for the 2009 10 school year. While the Executive Budget continues the long-term commitment to education funding, the financial consequences of the recent economic downturn have temporarily impacted the State’s ability to continue growth in School Aid for the 2009-10 school year. In order to achieve necessary savings, several actions are proposed to reduce overall School Aid funding levels. The Executive Budget recommends maintaining formula aid categories that provide operating support at 2008-09 levels. In addition, the Executive Budget recommends enacting a $1.1 billion Deficit Reduction Assessment for the 2009-10 school year. This one-year Deficit Reduction Assessment, combined with anticipated growth in expense-based aids of $462 million and modifications to categorical programs, results in an overall School Aid year-to-year reduction of $698 million or 3.3 percent. Even with this reduction, School Aid will continue to represent the largest State supported program; including STAR and lottery, it will account for 30 percent of State operating funds in 2009-10. The Executive Budget also recommends several mandate relief provisions to lower school districts costs and minimize paperwork.

Major budget actions for the 2009-10 school year include:

• School Year Support: The Executive Budget provides $20.7 billion in State support for public schools for the 2009-10 school year, a year-to-year decrease of $698 billion, or 3.3 percent. Even with this reduction, School Aid has increased by 42 percent since the 2003-04 school year.

• Fiscal Year Support: The Executive Budget provides $20.78 billion in State support for public schools in 2009-10, approximately the same fiscal year support as last year.

• Deficit Reduction Assessment: As a result of the State’s current financial situation, the Executive Budget recommends the application of a Deficit Reduction Assessment. This recommendation applies a $1.1 billion Deficit Reduction Assessment to total School Aid for all school districts, excluding Building Aids and Universal Prekindergarten. This approach reduces School Aid on a per pupil basis, adjusted for each school district’s wealth, student need, and residential property tax burden. For High Need school districts, the Deficit Reduction Assessment will be no more than 2.5 percent of a school district’s total General Fund expenditures.

• Foundation Aid: The Foundation Aid formula calculates funding based on the cost of an education in a successful school, student need, and local ability to pay. Given the current economic situation, the Executive Budget recommends limiting Foundation Aid for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years to the amount provided for the 2008-09 School Year, $14.87 billion. The Executive Budget also recommends extending the full phase-in of Foundation Aid until the 2014-15 school year. This extension of the phase-in maintains the commitment to fully fund Foundation Aid over a longer time period.

• Universal Prekindergarten: The Executive Budget recommends limiting funding for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years to the 2008-09 level of $401 million. In addition, the planned full phase-in of Universal Prekindergarten will be extended from the 2010-11 school year to the 2014-15 school year, consistent with the proposed phase-in of Foundation Aid. Maintaining funding at the 2008-09 level ensures continued school district participation, stability of funding for those school districts that are currently participating and preserves the current commitment for this high priority program.

• Support for School Construction: The Executive Budget recommends over $2.4 billion in State support for the construction of school facilities, an increase of $263 million. Included in this amount, in 2009-10, the State will provide EXCEL Building Aid totaling $165 million - reflecting the State’s 2009-10 debt service cost for EXCEL bonds.

• High Tax Aid: The Executive Budget recommends funding High Tax Aid at the 2008-09 school year level of $205 million for the 2009-10 school year. This is consistent with the approach taken to maintain Foundation Aid and other programs that provide operating support for school districts at 2008-09 levels.

• BOCES: The Executive Budget recommends $706 million in BOCES Aid in 2009-10, an increase of over $33 million from the 2008-09 school year.

• Special Services Aid: The Executive Budget recommends total funding of $203 million, an increase of $6.6 million. This aid category funds career education programs and computer services for school districts that are not component districts of BOCES.

• Transportation Aid: The Executive Budget recommends $1.62 billion for reimbursement for the costs of transporting 2.3 million students statewide. This represents an increase of $93 million.

• Private Excess Cost Aid: The Executive Budget recommends $300 million - the amount that is calculated under existing statutory provisions. This represents a $37.8 million, or 14.4 percent increase from 2008-09 funding levels.

• High Cost Excess Cost Aid: The Executive Budget recommends $465 million - the amount that is calculated under existing statutory provisions. This represents a $52 million, or a 12.6 percent increase from 2008-09 funding levels.

• Miscellaneous Operating Support Programs: The Executive Budget maintains funding at 2008-09 levels for various programs that can be used by school districts for operating support. These programs include: Supplemental Public Excess Cost, New York City Academic Achievement Grant, Academic Enhancement Aid, Supplemental Educational Improvement Plan Grant, and Supplemental Valuation Impact Grants. These actions are consistent with the approach taken to maintain Foundation Aid and other aids that provide operating support at 2008-09 levels.

• Charter Schools: The Executive Budget provides $18.4 million in Transitional Aid for school districts impacted by a concentration of charter schools, as well as $5.5 million for technical assistance and start-up grants for Charter Schools.

• Roosevelt Union Free School District: The Executive Budget includes $6 million to provide an Academic Improvement Grant for the Roosevelt Union Free School District. This is a reduction from the $12 million awarded to Roosevelt in the 2008-09 school year due to the school district’s improved fiscal circumstances as reported by the Office of State Comptroller.

• Teachers of Tomorrow: The Executive Budget continues this $25 million program for incentives, such as awards and stipends, to retain and attract teachers into New York State classrooms, particularly in areas where teacher shortages exist.

• Categorical Teacher-Related Programs: The Executive Budget recommends eliminating funding for the $40 million Teacher Centers program and the $10 million Teacher-Mentor Intern program due to the State’s financial condition.

• Math/Science Initiatives: The Executive Budget recommends eliminating funding for the $10 million Math/Science Initiatives program due to the State’s financial condition.

• Bilingual Education/English Language Learners: The Executive Budget maintains $12.5 million in funding for Bilingual Education grants. These funds support programs which include technical assistance centers, two-way Bilingual classrooms, intensive Bilingual teacher training and leadership programs.

• Eliminate Funding for the Rochester Children’s Zone: The Executive Budget recommends eliminating funding for this program which intends to create a community schools model in Rochester.

• Other Programs: The Executive Budget recommends funding based on existing statutory formulas for several programs including: Textbook Aid, Library Materials Aid, Computer Software Aid, Computer Hardware Aid, Full Day Kindergarten Conversion Aid and Reorganization Operating Aid. In addition, several categorical programs (Urban-Suburban Transfer, Education of Homeless Pupils, Incarcerated Youth, Education of OMH/OMR Pupils, and Native American Building Aid) are declining year-to-year based on estimates provided by the State Education Department for the level of State funding that would be needed to support these programs consistent with existing statutory provisions.

MANDATE RELIEF

The 2009-10 Executive Budget proposes measures to reduce school district costs, ease the paperwork workload, and remove selected mandates. By encouraging structural reforms and reducing operational costs, this proposal promotes efficiency by increasing flexibility for school districts. This mandate relief package will allow school districts to adjust to the changing economic climate and evolving needs of their communities, providing needed flexibility and savings.

Elements of the proposal include:

• Repeal Wicks: The Executive Budget proposes to repeal multiple bidder requirements for school districts for a period of five years. This will provide long-term capital and debt service savings to school districts.

• Reform Pensions: The Executive Budget would remove pension enhancements that were added after the creation of the Tier IV retirement category. This action will reduce school district pension costs - one of the fastest growing local government cost drivers by reducing pension costs associated with new employees.

• Reform Procurement: The Executive Budget proposes to give school districts additional contracting flexibility by increasing existing bidding thresholds and allowing "best value" and "piggybacking" on existing contracts.

• Reduce Paperwork: This proposal streamlines existing reporting requirements and eliminates required reports that are deemed to be outdated or no longer serve a public policy purpose. In addition, the Department will be required to develop one consolidated reporting system that captures all information required by New York State or collected by the State for the Federal Government.

• Delay Effective Date of Mandates with Fiscal Implications: In the event that a Board of Regents mandate or new statute imposes a cost upon a school district after a school budget has been adopted, the mandate will not be implemented sooner than the following school year.

• Allow Access to Employee Benefit Accrued Liability Reserve Funds: A school district’s governing board may authorize a withdrawal of excess funds in an employee benefits accrued liability reserve fund in order to maintain educational programming during the 2009-10 school year. The amount withdrawn may not exceed the Deficit Reduction Assessment for a school district. The State Comptroller would certify that funds withdrawn are in excess of the amount required for employee benefits which are a liability against the fund.

• Modify Contract for Excellence: In recognition of the fiscal circumstances facing the State and the two year suspension of increases for Foundation Aid, the Contract for Excellence program is modified for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. All 39 districts currently in the program would be required to continue in the program with a reduced financial liability unless all school buildings in a school district are reported as "In Good Standing" for purposes of the State accountability system. The school districts which remain in the program would be required to maintain funding on existing Contract for Excellence programs less the percentage reduction of the Deficit Reduction Assessment.

2009-10 Executive Budget — Agency Presentation
Education Department, State (PDF)