Ossining School Community Pushes for Fair Share of Aid from Albany

OSSINING, NY — Concerned members of the Ossining school community are again pushing to get an increase in Foundation Aid from Albany.

The district has long been shortchanged in several ways.

In terms of Foundation Aid the the regional average has gone up $150 per student since 2009, but not in Ossining. Foundation Aid has declined by $179 per students.

The Alliance for Quality Education's report about funding inequity in New York shows that despite statements to the contrary, the state continues to owe $3.9 billion to schools across the state, and the districts with the most needy students are the most shortchanged.

Ossining, for example, is owed $14 million in school funding under the fiscal equity formula. It's been 10 years.

The poverty rate among Ossining students has risen while the state uses 17-year-old data to compute its funding formula.

"Gov. Andrew Cuomo is presenting the state budget this week, and we want to email as many letters from the Ossining community as possible to the governor," schools Superintendent Ray Sanchez said in an email to residents. "This will assist our local legislators to continue to fight for our schools which remain underfunded. The letters will also be sent to The Majority leaders and Education Chairs in the legislature."

To take action, send this letter to the governor. Get more information at Ossining for Fair Funding.

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