Governor Hochul Announces Historic State Funding to Yonkers Schools

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced historic state funding to Yonkers schools for the 2022-2023 school year. This aid is part of Governor Hochul's unprecedented investment in education in the FY 2023 State Budget. Those investments include a statewide school aid increase of $2.1 billion, including a $1.5 billion increase in Foundation Aid and a $125 million increase in pre-kindergarten for four-year-old children. Additionally, the Budget provides $100 million in matching funds to provide academic and mental health supports for students and educators.

"Our FY 2023 State Budget includes historic investments that will make a difference in people's lives now and for years to come, including a record investment in our public schools - the largest in state history," Governor Hochul said. "The COVID-19 pandemic was an unimaginable experience forced upon our teachers and students, but they rose to the challenge. It is now our responsibility to ensure they have support to get back on track, recover, and thrive and I thank Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for her collaboration on this budget which unleashes the power of New York's education system."

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, "I'm proud that we are continuing to build on the efforts I helped lead over the past years to fully fund our schools so that regardless of zip code or school district, every New York student has access to a high-quality education. This past budget, it was important that effort pushed forward with Governor Hochul, Senate Education Chair Shelley Mayer, the Democratic Senate Majority, and our partners in the Assembly. Working together, we were able to bring home these historic levels of funding to our students in Yonkers and across New York State. These landmark investments in students from cradle to college will ensure a bright path forward for New York."

The FY 2023 State Budget provides $360.1 million in state aid to Yonkers City schools in 2022-2023 - an increase of $25.5 million, or 7.6 percent, over the previous school year. This includes 2022-23 Foundation Aid of $246.7 million, a year-to-year increase of $12.7 million or 5.4 percent. The Yonkers City School District also receives $19.6 million of VLT aid, and an additional $12 million in the SED budget.

The Budget increases School Aid in the Mid-Hudson region by $358.7 million, or 13.0 percent, including a $267.3 million, or 15.0 percent, increase in Foundation Aid. This increase is largely driven by the second year of the three-year phase-in of full funding of the Foundation Aid formula.

Education investments in the FY 2023 State Budget include:

Historic Education Funding
The State Budget is reflective of Governor Hochul's strong commitment to education by providing additional funding and services to meet the needs of students, teachers, and schools amid the pandemic. The Budget is providing $31.5 billion in total school aid for school year 2023, the highest level of State aid ever. This investment represents a year-to-year increase of $2.1 billion, or 7.2 percent, compared to school year 2022, including a $1.5 billion or 7.7 percent Foundation Aid increase, representing the second year of Governor Hochul's three-year commitment to fully fund Foundation Aid.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten
The Enacted Budget increases the State's annual investment in high-quality pre-kindergarten to $1.1 billion, an increase of $125 million, or 13 percent. With this funding, school districts will be able to provide access to high-quality, full-day pre-kindergarten across the State for approximately 17,500 additional four-year-old children.

Academic and Mental Health Support
The State Budget includes a total of $100 million of matching funds over two years to be provided to school districts and BOCES with the highest needs to address student wellbeing and learning loss in response to the trauma brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes support for extended school day or school year programs, afterschool programs, mental health professionals and other locally determined initiatives.

Recruiting and Retaining Teachers
The Budget includes funding for new initiatives centered around expanding the workforce for teachers, as well as expanding the means by which professionals from other careers may become teachers.

The Budget creates a state teacher residency program to bring more teachers into schools sooner while providing greater opportunity for support and training as they embark on their careers. The State will also expand alternative teacher certification programs, such as the New York City Teaching Collaborative, to make it easier and more appealing for professionals in other careers to become teachers. Aspiring teachers would apprentice in high-need school districts while pursuing a master's degree in their field.

The Budget includes initiatives to upskill current paraprofessionals and teaching assistants. There are more than 100,000 paraprofessionals and teaching assistants in New York State schools—a number that is rapidly rising. The Budget will provide grants for paraprofessionals who remain employed in a school district to pursue a teaching degree. School districts would be required to pair candidates with professional mentors.

In order to bolster the workforce and address the teacher shortage, the Budget will temporarily waive the income cap for certain retirees. There are 169,000 retired New York State Teachers, many of whom would be willing to return to teaching by waiving the current pension limit. Certain retirees would have the $35,000 limit removed, incentivizing teachers and other school workers to rejoin the workforce.

Green Education
In order to improve air quality for school-age New Yorkers, the State Budget requires that all new school bus purchases be zero-emissions by 2027 and all school buses on the road be zero-emissions by 2035. The State Budget will provide $500 million through the Environmental Bond Act to support school districts in purchases of zero-emission buses and related charging infrastructure including charging stations. Additionally, the State Budget authorizes school districts to lease or finance zero-emission buses for 12 years, more than double the current five-year limitation for diesel buses, in order to help districts meet this goal, and ensures Transportation Aid is provided on zero-emission buses and related charging infrastructure.

The Budget will build on Governor Hochul's commitment to bring environmental sustainability to New York schools. The Clean Green Schools initiative provided in the "Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act" will serve more than 1,000 public schools and benefit nearly 1 million students. The program will drive significant infrastructure upgrades, such as geothermal heating and cooling, solar, green roofs, and indoor air quality/ventilation. This vital investment will not only boost the state's economy but advance climate justice by bringing clean energy and a healthier indoor environment to under-resourced public schools.

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, "I am so pleased we have a budget that acknowledges the State's long standing obligation to fully fund Foundation Aid. When we said we would fund all schools regardless of children's zip codes, we meant it. Thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul's steadfast leadership to public education and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for insisting that this commitment be met."

County Executive George Latimer said, “I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her leadership and her focus on educating our young people and transforming their lives. As Westchester County Executive, as a former State Senator who Chaired the State Education Committee and as someone who grew up on the south side of Mount Vernon – I know first had the power of education. This unprecedented amount of money towards public education, early education, mental health, and greening the education system will improve the lives of our teachers and our students who suffered tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic. We owe this to them and their futures.

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said, “Thank you to Governor Hochul and our state leaders for recommitting New York State to the needs of our students. Fully funding the Foundation Aid places Yonkers Public Schools back on the road of academic success. We know that with this injection of funding, nothing can stop the sheer determination and potential of our students.”