Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to the today’s announcement regarding education funding for Fiscal Year 2025:

We appreciate that the City will be restoring $514 million in funding for preschool special education, 3-K, community schools, Learning to Work programs, shelter-based community coordinators serving students experiencing homelessness, school social workers and psychologists, literacy and dyslexia initiatives, bilingual education, and translation services.

We thank Mayor Adams, Chancellor Banks, and the City Council—particularly Speaker Adams and Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph—for recognizing the ongoing importance of these programs, which are helping to address the longstanding shortage of seats in preschool special education classes; providing critical support to students in shelter; helping youth gain work experience and stay on track to high school graduation; ensuring more students have access to mental health support at school; and much more. Parents, students, educators, and advocates were calling for such investments long before Covid-19 upended public education, and the need is not going away even as federal stimulus dollars run dry.

As the budget process moves forward, we also want to ensure that the City restores funding for additional important programs on the chopping block, including the remaining preschool special education supports, restorative justice programs, the Mental Health Continuum, Student Success Centers at 34 high schools, Promise NYC, and immigrant family communications and outreach. Students and their families rely on these programs, and we cannot afford to lose them.

As the budget process continues, we look forward to working with the Administration and the City Council to ensure students get the support they need.