Foundation Aid school funding
Governor Hochul and the Legislature split on how to fund New York schools under Foundation Aid. Hochul proposed keeping the formula largely unchanged with a 1 percent minimum bump ($27.1 billion total), while the Senate and Assembly sought formula changes to boost aid for students experiencing homelessness, in foster care, and English language learners, plus a higher minimum funding increase.
How should New York change Foundation Aid funding for public schools?
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Sources
NY Focus — https://nysfocus.com/2026/03/12/new-york-state-budget-negotiations-2026
Foundation Aid: The governor and legislature are divided on how to best fund New York schools. Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal would keep the Foundation Aid school funding formula unchanged and includes a 1 percent minimum bump over last year for all school districts, bringing her total to $27.1 billion. The Senate and Assembly both want to amend the formula to increase funding for students experiencing homelessness, those in foster care, and English language learners. They also proposed a minimum 2 percent funding boost for districts.
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- Substantially raise Foundation Aid and rewrite the formula to prioritize high-need student groups
- Amend the formula for homelessness, foster care, and ELL students with at least a 2% district boost
- Keep the current formula with a modest across-the-board increase similar to 1%
- Hold Foundation Aid flat except for inflation and require tighter district accountability
- Reduce state Foundation Aid growth and shift more funding decisions to local districts