Coalition for Equitable Education Funding

About

The Coalition for Equitable Education Funding (CEEF) advocates for the resources needed to ensure every student receives a high-quality education, with a focus on those who need the most support. It includes more than 120 advocacy organizations, civil rights organizations, social service providers, and groups representing students, parents, and educators that first came together in 2023 as the Emergency Coalition to Save Education Programs to push elected leaders to sustain important education programs, services, and staff positions that were supported with temporary federal COVID-19 stimulus dollars and one-year city funding set to run dry in June 2024. While the City made significant investments in Fiscal Year 2025 to save many of these initiatives, the work is far from done.

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State budget advocacy

For the first time since 2007, New York State leaders are reexamining the formula used to decide how much education funding, or Foundation Aid, school districts get from Albany for each student. While Governor Hochul and the State Legislature took a positive step by fully funding the Foundation Aid formula for the first time in 2023, the formula itself includes outdated and incomplete measures of need and has not evolved to account for growing costs, particularly in large urban districts.

New York City currently uses its Foundation Aid dollars to support school budgets and to fund a range of crucial education programs, including many of the programs saved in last year’s budget cycle. And with more funding from Albany, the City could do even more to support students. CEEF is calling for changes to the formula to help ensure New York City schools can meet the needs of all students, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELLs), students from low-income families, students experiencing homelessness, and others who need additional support. Its recommendations include, for example, adding a per-pupil weight for students in temporary housing and students in the foster system; updating the Regional Cost Index, which is supposed to account for differences in wages in different parts of the State but hasn’t been updated since 2006; including funding for students in 3-K and Pre-K, who are currently left out of the formula entirely; and providing resources to implement the State’s new class size requirements for New York City.

Since September 2024, our activities have included releasing a joint statement with our recommendations, launching an action alert so that individuals can contact state elected leaders, holding a teach-in for parents and community members, presenting at community events, meeting with key state legislators, and organizing a legislative briefing.

City budget advocacy

Last June, the Mayor and City Council baselined many of the important education programs that were at risk due to expiring federal or city funds, providing long-term funding. However, the City continued other initiatives for one year only—meaning the funding will expire at the end of June unless City leaders act to extend funding in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

The programs at risk of being rolled back or eliminated as soon as July 2025 are currently benefitting tens of thousands of NYC students and their families; they include 3-K, preschool special education classes, Learning to Work, community schools, restorative justice, the Mental Health Continuum, and more. We urge Mayor Adams to baseline these programs in the FY26 Preliminary Budget and to make additional investments that are needed to support students, with a focus on those who have the greatest needs.

Past accomplishments

In 2023–24, what was then the Emergency Coalition to Save Education Programs successfully advocated for the continuation of more than $800 million worth of education programs, services, and staff positions that had been at risk of elimination due to the expiration of federal COVID-19 stimulus funding and one-year city funds.