Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Ways and Means Chair Herman D. Farrell, Jr., and Education Committee Chair Catherine Nolan announced that the 2009-2010 state budget continues the Assembly's commitment to provide a solid education for New York State's children despite tough economic times. The budget stabilizes aid to schools by restoring $1.1 billion to school districts and provides $376 million for universal pre-kindergarten.

"While we recognize the fiscal crisis affecting our state and our country, it is crucial that we not lose sight of the critical role education plays in the economic viability of our state. The Assembly Majority has ensured that the improvements made in the education of our children in recent years will not be eroded during this economic downturn, and we continue to seek the very best for our students through varied educational opportunities and experiences," said Silver (D-Manhattan).

"The 2009-10 state budget could have been a disaster for schools, students and taxpayers, but by utilizing federal stimulus funds to fill the hole in school funding, we are able to keep our children on the path to a sound education," said Nolan (D-Queens). "Even during the worst economic downturn in decades, we must maintain our strong commitment to educating our children and providing them with the tools and skills they will need to compete successfully for the jobs of the 21st century."

"This budget continues our commitment to education across the state," said Farrell (D-Manhattan). "We must ensure all school districts have the aid they need and guarantee that no school children fall behind during this economic downturn."

The budget lifts the Governor's freeze on reimbursable expense-based aid including transportation, building aid and BOCES - ensuring schools have access to the funds they need. Overall, schools will benefit by an estimated increase of $403 million in these aids over the 2008-09 school year. Foundation aid for the 2009-2010 school year will remain at current levels. The Assembly continues its commitment to foundation aid by phasing in full funding over three years, a year earlier than the executive's proposal, starting in 2011-12.

The Assembly has been on the forefront of fighting for the continuation and growth of the universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) program to ensure that every 4-year-old in the state has the opportunity to get a head start in school, and continues the program with $376 million in this budget.

To provide teachers with the resources they need to succeed and become the very best teachers they can, the budget fully restores executive cuts to teacher resource and computer training centers. These centers which provide systematic, ongoing professional education services to the state's teachers and have been allocated $40 million for the 2009-10 school year. In addition, the budget restores $2 million to the teacher mentor intern program, a program that enables experienced teachers in a district to provide guidance and support to beginning teachers.

The budget will continue the Contract for Excellence program for the 2009-10 school year. School districts that are required to prepare a Contract for Excellence will maintain the same level of funding as last year, ensuring that schools will not have to cut allowable programs including class size reduction, academic after-school programs and full-day kindergarten or pre-kindergarten.

In addition, the budget creates new reporting requirements for New York City regarding its Five-Year Class Size Reduction Plan to include detailed information by school on:

• Number of classrooms and teachers that existed prior to receiving Contract for Excellence funds and the number of new classroom and new teachers created with funds;
• Actual average class sizes for each year funding was received; and
• Schools that received Contract for Excellence funds and did not reach class size reduction goals and the actions to be taken in those schools to reduce class sizes.

In addition, the budget restores:

• $10.58 million in library aid, and $79,000 to the Talking Book and Braille Library;
• $15 million in operating aid for public television and radio stations for educational programming - an increase of $5.6 million over the executive proposal;
• $6.9 million for adult literacy education programs to help adults who have difficulties reading and writing improve their communication skills - an increase of $2 million over the executive proposal;
• $2.5 million set aside within employment preparation education for students with high school diplomas still needing basic skills;
• $2 million for teacher salary enhancements for those who teach preschool and school age students with special needs;
• $1.5 million for workforce education for a total of $13 million within employment preparation education;
• $1.38 million to Math and Science High Schools; and
• $1 million for workplace literacy to improve literacy and worker skill levels.

The budget continues Bilingual Education at $12.5 million; rejects language that would modify rate setting methodology for itinerant teachers - special education professionals - in the preschool education program; rejects the elimination of the Science, Math and Bilingual set-aside within the Teachers of Tomorrow program; and rejects review of the current allocation methodology for funds among public broadcast stations. The budget also expands the definition of aidable software to include video, audio, images and teacher guides - providing teachers more resources for the classroom.

The budget helps school districts by freezing the tuition rate public schools have to pay charter schools in the 2009-10 school year to the rates they paid last year. The budget also agrees to maintain the executive's proposal to continue high tax aid funds at last year's level. Additionally, the budget restores $30 million in funding for non-public schools.

During this economic crisis, the federal government has provided funds to help stabilize state and local government budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in education. The budget uses the following federal funds to help local school districts over the next two years:

• $906 million in Title 1 funds, which is financial assistance for schools with high percentages of disadvantaged children to help ensure all children meet the state's academic standards;
• $794 million for the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), ensuring that mandatory early intervention, special education and related services are provided to children with disabilities;
• $200 million for State Incentive Grant and Innovation Funds;
• $253 million in Title 1 school improvement grants, allowing identified schools in need of improvement to use the funds for professional development, before and after school programs, and instructional materials for students and teachers;
• $55.5 million in technology grants for schools to buy computers, networks and instructional software;
• $28.8 million for vocational rehabilitation, which includes funds for independent living centers that help people with disabilities learn to live more independently in their communities;
• $20 million for the Teacher Incentive Fund;
• $5.9 million for cafeteria equipment; and
• $4.5 million to provide equal access and support services for the education of homeless children and youth.