Stakeholders bring school funding concerns straight to Education Department

In the face of devastating cuts due to the coronavirus pandemic, stakeholders were at the New York State Education Department Wednesday pleading for a swift and equitable remedy.

Facing 20% cuts across the board, school superintendents were there, along with lawmakers and other stakeholders demanding a swift solution to a dilemma that impacts more than 700 school districts across New York.

What everyone is hoping for is that federal stimulus money will come from Washington, although there didn’t seem to be anyone at the news conference who thought if it were to happen, it would happen any time soon.

So there was a call for the state to come up with their own creative solution, whether it be higher taxes for the wealthy or creating a stock transfer tax on Wall Street investments.

However, beyond the issue of finding enough money, there was also a call for all school districts to be treated fairly, whether in high or low-income communities.

The main goal was to find a way so that all children could be educated inside a school building rather doing it remotely while at home.

Even though there may not be agreement on what the solution should be, everyone agrees it needs to happen quickly.

Hear one superintendent discuss everything they need to keep the school community safe during the pandemic by watching the video of Dan Levy’s story.