In a few days, students across the 93rd Assembly District will return to the classroom. They will be greeted by our dedicated teachers, eager to help them learn and begin the new school year. And …
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In a few days, students across the 93rd Assembly District will return to the classroom. They will be greeted by our dedicated teachers, eager to help them learn and begin the new school year. And once again our community schools will have access to a significant amount of new resources to help our students and families, thanks to a historic investment made by the legislature last year.
While I have served in the State Assembly, I have been proud to champion our community schools. In total, I have voted to provide over $84 billion in state funding for our schools. In the most recent state budget, despite no votes from democrat lawmakers, the budget will provide nearly $14 billion in state funding to our local schools while maintaining our state’s commitment to fund 2/3 of school funding.
The largest increase in these funds will go towards general aid, which is the most flexible source of funding for community schools. This money can be used for teacher salaries, extracurricular activities, and even upgrades to the classroom. This year, the budget raises per-student funding by $325 compared to last year, bringing the total increase to nearly $1,000 per student since 2022-23.
The budget also included specific funds to help our students. This includes additional funding to help our students’ mental health needs, which have declined over the past few years. In addition, community schools will have more resources to help our students with special needs and to address the high cost of transportation. Parents will also have more resources to ensure they can choose the best option for their child.
All this was accomplished by helping balance the needs of our students and our property taxpayers. Unfortunately, the governor used his broad veto power to increase taxes on the middle class of our state for the next 400 years. If left unaddressed, this increase will burden property taxpayers and could result in billions in additional property tax hikes for decades to come.
I’m proud to have supported and voted for these funds because I believe every child in our community deserves access to the best possible education, regardless of their zip code. Good luck to all our students this year, and to their families and our teachers!
