The state budget this week will force state lawmakers into making some difficult choices, including cuts to education aid amid the coronavirus pandemic as the crisis has led to plummeting revenue for New York and soaring costs.

The New York State United Teachers Union on Monday will unveil a 30-second ad pushing back against any cuts this week.

“With $2 billion in stimulus it makes no sense to sacrifice our future,” the ad says, which also highlights the remote learning efforts teachers have undertaken in recent weeks.

The ad will be running on TV and in digital space between now and the state budget deadline on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO | School Districts Brace for the Worst

Education spending is the second costliest item in the budget next to health care spending.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has resisted calls from progressive advocates to raise taxes on the rich in order to make up revenue gaps created by the public health crisis.