$100 Million Fund Needed but Timing and Targeting Suggest Linkage to Private School Tax Credit
(Long Island, NY) Governor Cuomo announced in Yonkers today that he is proposing a $100 million fund for upstate schools “in crisis.” The funds will be available for schools “North of the Bronx” according to the Governor.
“After five years in office, Governor Cuomo for the first time has acknowledged that New York State schools are in crisis and that more funding is essential to address the problem,” said Billy Easton,Executive Director for the Alliance for Quality Education. “His $100 million proposal is welcome relief for Yonkers and other schools north of New York City, but not nearly enough to address the crisis he has created. Apparently it required poll numbers catching up with parents who have been pointing to the growing crisis for years in order for Governor Cuomo to admit a crisis exists in our schools. The solution is in fully funding the $5 billion owed under the Campaign for Fiscal Equity to resolve the crisis statewide; instead Governor Cuomo has aggressively focused his energies on pushing for a costly taxpayer subsidy for private schools and their donors.”
“We are pleased that Governor Cuomo said the funding is not tied to his private school tax credit at the Yonkers event and we hope that is true because the funding for Yonkers and other schools is vital and should be adopted. Nonetheless, the Governor made the subtle link by acknowledging that the $100 million would be ‘mutually agreed upon’ with other unresolved issue—none of which has received more of his attention than the tax credit. The ploy is obvious—he is offering $100 million for urban schools in upstate districts represented by Assembly Democrats. He is trying to sweeten the pot to secure Assembly votes in support. But it must stand on its own merits, there is no room for a quid pro quo.”
