Foundation Aid Formula: A Long Awaited Update is On the Horizon

On July 29th, Senator Bill Weber (NY-38) hosted a meeting at Rockland Community College to discuss the highly contested Foundation Aid Formula. School Superintendents, Board of Education members, Assemblymen and community members alike attended in an effort to learn more about this formula which determines funds received by New York’s public schools and suggest methods to improve the way education funds are distributed. Researchers at the Rockefeller Institute are currently collecting data and gathering feedback on the Foundation Aid Formula as they prepare for an overhaul of the outdated method in 2025. 

The Foundation Aid Formula came to be after a class action lawsuit by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity in 2007. The lawsuit, which originated out of New York City, was filed against the New York State Education Department and New York State for the way it had funded the New York City Public School system. The lawsuit ended in a settlement that required the Campaign for Fiscal Equity to provide a new funding formula. This settlement brought about the Foundation Aid Formula and was first implemented in the 2007-2008 school year. At the time, the Foundation Aid Formula utilized data from the 2000 census, while labor cost data was based on 2007 data. It has not been updated since its inception, which stood out as a point of frustration amongst educators and Assemblymen alike. 

The main focus of the meeting was the Foundation Aid Formula’s perceived failure to assess schools’ needs holistically. The formula does not take into account the rising number of special needs students, and when calculating wealth of various school districts it focuses heavily on property wealth while ignoring other factors that impact families finances. Thomas Desprisco, 15 year member of the Rockland County School Board Association, emphasized his belief that including Rockland and Westchester Counties into the New York City and Long Island Labor Force region based on the cost of living factors would have an overall positive effect. According to his calculations, this would bring an additional $21 million into Rockland County for Rockland County schools. Desprisco also stated that since the Foundation Aid Formula was first put into effect, “five of eight school districts have seen an over 300% increase in economically disadvantaged students throughout Rockland County. Six of our eight school districts have seen our ELL [English Language Learner] population double”. 

Senator Weber stressed the importance of community involvement in changing the Foundation Aid Formula, encouraging community members to advocate for Rockland County schools and to make their voices, questions and concerns known to the Rockefeller Institute in order to have the greatest impact on the community. Results of the data collection and a new Foundation Aid Formula is projected to be released on December 1st, 2024.