Any changes to the Foundation Aid formula could have a major impact on schools’ ability to deliver a high-quality education, making it critically important to carefully assess the implications of all recommendations in the Rockefeller Institute report released today. As the report notes, aspects of the formula are significantly outdated. Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature must ensure that the formula accurately reflects the true cost of educating young people in 2024—with particular attention to those students who need the most support to succeed.

The Rockefeller Institute study highlights several of our key concerns regarding the current formula, including the outdated Regional Cost Index, which is intended to account for variations in wages in different parts of the State but has not been updated since 2006, as well as the inadequacy of the poverty metric, which is based on Census data and the number of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, providing a limited and incomplete portrait of student need. We look forward to fully reviewing the alternatives proposed.

We are disappointed that there are no recommendations to add weights for students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care so that schools can better meet their needs; to provide per pupil funding for 3-K and pre-K students; or to help NYC meet the new class size limits required by state law.

AFC and 120 other organizations serving students and families in New York City have joined together as the Coalition for Equitable Education Funding to call for a Foundation Aid formula that helps ensure schools can meet the needs of all students, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners, students who are homeless, students from low-income families, and others who need additional support. We look forward to reviewing the full report more closely and working with State leaders to ensure our schools have the resources necessary to give all students, including those with the greatest needs, a chance at a bright future.