Local School Districts to Receive Increased State Aid
Local school districts all received a boost in funding in the newly enacted New York State budget.
In the $26.7 billion state aid package, districts in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties experienced increases ranging from 1.9% to 9%.
In the category labeled formula-based aid, Lakeland, the largest local district, had a 5.18% increase from last year, netting $42.97 million. In addition, Lakeland’s so-called foundation aid jumped 1.9% to $24.32 million.
Hendrick Hudson’s formula aid increased 5.57% to $6.46 million and its foundation aid went up 3.9% to $3.8 million. Hendrick Hudson will also get a piece of the $24 million set aside in the budget for entities that will be affected by the closing of the Indian Point nuclear power plants.
Yorktown’s formula aid increased 5% to $16.7 million and its foundation aid rose 1.9% to more than $9 million. Croton-Harmon had a 6.14% jump in formula aid to $5.95 million and a 4.5% increase in foundation aid to $2.27 million.
Two districts that publicly lobbied for additional state funding, Ossining and Peekskill, saw their efforts pay off. Ossining’s formula aid rose 4.55% to $22.97 million and its foundation aid rose 8% to $11.9 million, while Peekskill’s formula aid increased 3.8% to $43 million and its foundation aid jumped 3.87% to $30.3 million.
Somers received the smallest increase in formula aid, rising only 0.87% to $10 million, while its foundation aid increased 2.78% to $4.7 million.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/