After five public hearings and multiple stakeholder meetings, the Rockefeller Institute’s Foundation Aid report was released Monday afternoon.
Foundation Aid has been the primary school funding formula in New York state since 2007.
According to several education stakeholders Capital Tonight spoke with, the Rockefeller Institute’s report is more detailed, thoughtful and comprehensive than had been expected, but there are some significant concerns.
Brian Fessler, director of governmental relations with the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA), is worried the governor might cherry pick some of the ideas in the report, including its recommendation to gradually phase out the “save harmless” provision, which protects districts from funding reductions, despite enrollment drops.
“We don’t want the governor to pick out that and say, ‘hey, I’m just doing what the Rockefeller report recommended’ while ignoring all the positives of that,” Fessler said.
But a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul sent an emailed statement to Capital Tonight in which the governor said she doesn’t want to phase out the “save harmless” policy.
“Governor Hochul has delivered more funding to public schools than any governor in State history, and she's committed to continuing that support. As we craft the upcoming Executive Budget, the Governor believes we should avoid proposals that would negatively impact school budgets, such as eliminating the hold-harmless provision of the Foundation Aid formula.”
The statement continued.
“This study’s comprehensive findings will help inform ongoing discussions with the Legislature and key stakeholders about how we better align our spending to meet the needs of future generations of students. We thank the Rockefeller Institute for their work."
Capital Tonight spoke with Robert Megna, president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government and New York state’s former budget director, about several issues, including how the governor and legislature may use the report, and why they didn’t include recommendations regarding the state’s 2% property tax cap.