Politico – A coalition of education advocates is putting pressure on city and state lawmakers to come up with a plan to fund key initiatives financed by federal stimulus dollars set to expire this year.

The Department of Education has used $7 billion in temporary Covid-19 money to subsidize a host of services including 3K, social workers and community schools. The city has also used the money to pay for school psychologists, bilingual staff and shelter-based coordinators who support students in temporary housing.

The Emergency Coalition to Save Education Programs consists of more than 160 organizations, including Advocates for Children of New York, Alliance for Quality Education, Day Care Council of New York, Good Shepherd Services and YMCA of Greater New York.

“Members of an elected office listen to constituents so it is our goal to get this information out to as many constituents as possible so that when members are at the supermarket, they are hearing [it from] the cash register person,” Annie Minguez Garcia, vice president of government and community relations at Good Shepherd Services, said during a briefing Wednesday. “When they are at the bank, they’re listening to this from the teller.”

City education officials recently told state lawmakers reductions were made in some areas, but not enough to fill the gap. Reactions were mixed as Mayor Eric Adams announced that city agencies will be spared from a third round of cuts.

“We are relieved that there is not going to be another round of cuts to the New York City Department of Education but we are deeply concerned about the cuts that are currently being proposed,” Randi Levine, policy director for Advocates for Children of New York, said.