POUGHKEEPSIE – Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget is cutting funding to several school districts in the Hudson Valley, including the Poughkeepsie City School District. State Senator Rob Rolison (R, Poughkeepsie) said the budget also makes cuts to other school districts he represents, including Wallkill Central Schools, Beacon City Schools, and the Garrison Union Free School District.
The Poughkeepsie City School District stands to lose $1.4 million in projected state aid for 2024-25, which equates to a 1.4 percent reduction, according to Superintendent Dr. Eric Rosser.
The Governor’s budget summary says “Foundation Aid is the State’s main education operating aid formula. It is focused on allocating State funds equitably to all school districts, especially high-need districts, based on student need, community wealth, and regional cost differences,” and says there is a funding increase of 2.1 percent, totaling a $507 million increase across the state. Poughkeepsie schools will lose $600,000 in Foundation Aid, according to the governor’s office. Additionally, the district is losing more than $800,000 in Charter School Transition Aid and $840,000 in Universal Pre-K money.
Rosser says the potential cuts “will place some challenges on the school district being able to continue forward progress and meeting the needs of the children and the families here in the City of Poughkeepsie.” The superintendent also pointed out that his district is in the last year of COVID funding, which is $1.5 million. “Combined with the cut from the state, it’s a $2.9 million deficit,” in a budget that he expected to see an increase in state funding.
“Poughkeepsie has challenges that are far different from some of the suburban school districts in other areas through the 39th (Senate District) and throughout the state,” Senator Rolison said in arguing against Hochul’s proposed cuts. “Unlike municipal governments, the school districts are capped at what they can keep in reserves at four percent. That number needs to increase to six or seven percent so school districts can build healthy reserves,” the senator argued, saying the increased reserve funds would allow districts to be able to absorb surprise cuts in state aid.
The full discussion with Senator Rolison and Dr. Rosser can be viewed below.
