State budget testimony: Mayor plans to making even more cuts to school budgets next year, despite $568 million more in state Foundation aid

Feb. 12, 2023

Below see Class Size Matters’ testimony from last week’s  State education budget hearings, which describe some of the many reasons we are extremely concerned that the DOE is not prepared to meet the class size limits in the new state law, especially in the out years, given repeated cuts to school budgets, reductions in the capital plan, continued charter school co-location proposals, as well as their stated refusal to cap enrollment at lower levels in the most overcrowded schools.

Our testimony includes findings that the Mayor’s preliminary budget for FY 2024 indeed includes additional cuts to school budgets, despite fervent claims otherwise by DOE.  In fact, the $100 million PEG described as “savings” resulting from school staff who refused to be vaccinated is actually a cut to school budgets, as the IBO confirmed to me and explained below.  These cuts, along with another $40 million in associated mid-year cuts, were proposed despite the fact that our schools will receive $568 million in additional state Foundation Aid next year.  We also go detail the onerous expense to DOE budget that could result if the Governor’s proposal to raise the charter cap by another 100 schools was adopted, and what amendments to the charter law should be made instead.

If you have questions, or would like a briefing for your community group or organization on any of these issues, please email us at [email protected].