How
much will it take? And who gets it?
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Those two questions are essentially
at the heart of deliberations taking place in Albany following a landmark court
decision over school funding.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย New York City schoolchildren, the
court ruled last year, have been denied their constitutional right to a “sound,
basic education.” The governor and the legislature, the courts ruled, must
determine the cost of providing an adequate education and have a reform plan
ready to go by July 30, 2004. But where that money will come from is unknown.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The suit was brought in 1993 by the
nonprofit Campaign for Fiscal Equity, made up of parents, teachers, and advocacy
groups.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Although the lawsuit was just about
New York City, it has statewide implications, explains Jody Siegle, executive
director of the Monroe County School Boards Association. The judge recognized
that many schools face similar financial challenges as New York City and urged
a statewide remedy to the problem, Siegle says.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “He recognizes that the situation
has parallels around the state and that ideally any decision that would affect
that much of the allocation of education aid in New York State is going to
affect the rest of the state, too,” Siegle says.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Throwing some money upstate might
also prevent similar lawsuits here, she says.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The problem, Siegle says, is that
the assembly, senate, and the governor have three different ideas on how to
appease the courts, and they haven’t been working together.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย If all three haven’t agreed to a
plan by the July deadline, an arbitrator of sorts will be appointed. No one
wants that to happen, says state Senator Joe Robach, because it could hurt
other schools. The arbitrator could decide to take money from more affluent
districts — including ones here in Monroe County — and funnel it downstate.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “My job is to protect the school
districts in Rochester and Monroe County,” Robach says. “To push a logical
agreement and make sure it’s not at the expense of school districts I
represent.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The arbitrator might also decide to
focus on New York City and leave out the rest of the state.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “Rochester’s just as important as
New York City as far as I’m concerned,” says state Assemblyman David Gantt.
“There are a number of other school districts that are in the same position [as
New York City].”
The
frustration stems from the fact that the courts didn’t say how much money it
would take to make them happy. They merely said the state has to do a better
job of funding schools, “whatever that means,” Robach says.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “It’s very vague. It’s a large
unknown,” he says. “This is uncharted territory.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Even if an agreement is reached, no
one knows if it will be acceptable to the courts.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “It isn’t clear what criteria [the]
plan would have to meet,” Siegle says.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย There is also disagreement over
whether funding needs to be put into the budget by July 30 or if simply having
a plan in hand is enough.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “The court decision, when you read
the language, it is confusing,”
Siegle says.
Gantt won’t
say anything beyond the fact that the assembly is “having discussions
around the issue.” Siegle, however, says the assembly waited for the results of
a study generated by CFE with the support of other groups.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The study, Siegle says, recommends
adding $9.3 billion to the state’s educational system over the next four years.
And “they’re saying that money needs to be put into the budget for the coming
year to begin to address this.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The senate did its own number
crunching. It’s important to note, Siegle says, that the CFE lawsuit was based
on 1996-1997 school-year numbers. Since that time, she says, “a lot of money
has been added to education spending by the state.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย In 1996-1997, the state was providing
approximately $10.4 billion in education aid. In the 2000-2001 school year, the
state provided $15.7 billion.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “The senate took a look at how much
they’ve added and is actually arguing that they’re already doing what the court
is telling them to do, and that maybe you don’t need to add any new money at
all,” Siegle says. “But they’ve also taken the position that you certainly
don’t need to add any money in this fiscal year because the court said you
[only] need to have a plan to resolve this in place by July 30.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But the numbers don’t tell the whole
story. Since 2000-2001, state aid has stayed relatively flat while expenses
have continued to rise, so the percentages have probably gone back down again,
says Judy Wadsworth, deputy executive director of the Monroe County School
Boards Association.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Robach hopes the legislature will be
able to agree on a number to put a down payment to New York City and “also
increase — if modestly — funding for other school districts in Upstate New
York prior to the court-appointed deadline.”ย ย ย ย ย ย
The third
factor in
this equation is Governor George Pataki, who formed the Commission on Education
Reform in response to the court ruling. The commission’s report on reforming
the state’s funding system was due Monday, March 15.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Not waiting around for the
commission’s report, Pataki increased education spending by $150 million in his
executive budget proposal. The package also includes a $325 million down
payment in an effort to comply with the court order. The money, the governor
says, would come from projected revenues from video slot machines.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Not enough, according to CFE. The
group continues to call for a down payment of $2 billion.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “This [the governor’s] down payment
is only a wobbly baby step when a giant leap is needed,” says Michael Rebell,
CFE’s executive director and counsel.
Does all this
mean that education in New York State has been sorely under funded over the years?
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “Although I think some people would
be shocked to realize that, the answer is yes,” Siegle says. “And the costs
have shifted. Things like special education have grown to consume 15 to 20
percent of the budget.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Pension fund payments, liability
insurance, utility costs, health insurance, and other expenses continue to grow
rapidly.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย At some point, government is going
to have to evaluate its priorities, Siegle says. Costs will continue to climb,
she says, and you can’t keep asking local communities to pay for them.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “We have a very, very expensive
state government. Their operating costs are high, they use money in a lot of
different ways that aren’t mandated by the state constitution,” she says. “Some
of these are wonderful, but sometimes it’s like life: You have to choose what’s
more important. We know providing a better education makes a difference.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For example, the state pays more
than 130 private colleges and universities in New York for each associate’s,
bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degree awarded. The amount, Wadsworth says,
has exceeded $100 million, collectively, in recent years.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “That’s not anything the state has
to do constitutionally,” she says.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Citing parallels to the GI Bill
after World War II, Siegle says that if we truly want to push to the next level
in this nation, “it’s going to take some sum of money that may seem daunting,
but is an investment, not a cost. It’s the only way we’re going to get there.”
Brian
Backstrom might disagree. Backstrom is vice president of the Foundation for Education
Reform & Accountability. He didn’t return City’s calls for comment, but in a press release dated late last
year, the foundation said a massive spending hike for schools would be
“irresponsible and ineffective.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “If more money was the answer, New
York would have closed its academic performance gap a long, long time ago,”
Backstrom says in the release. “New York already spends plenty of money on
education; we just don’t do so very wisely. Spending… must be tied to real
accountability. Increased spending without meaningful reform will simply lead
to more poorly educated students and poorer New Yorkers.”
Should
suburbs worry?
Governor
George Pataki has spoken out against using a “Robin Hood” approach to school
funding.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But school districts and town
officials still worry that a school-funding reform plan — due by July 30 —
will take aid from more affluent districts and funnel it to poorer districts.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “The suburban school districts want
to maintain the quality of programming they currently provide, and require a
continuation of state aid to do that,” says Brighton Town Supervisor Sandra
Frankel. “At the same time, they’re supportive of the city school district
having the kind of resources it needs to improve education so that city schools
are as effective as many of the suburban districts.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย State aid may make up a relatively
small portion of Brighton’s budget — about 15 percent — but the state also
contributes in other ways, such as funding for capital projects. The Pittsford
School District, for example, has a $106.5 million project in the works, which
includes building a new middle school. Approximately 47 percent of that project
is due to be funded by state aid.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Jody Siegle, executive director of
the Monroe County School Boards Association, decries the Robin Hood approach.
It would cause “tremendous negative political consequences” for lawmakers, she
says, and, in the end, wouldn’t be very effective.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “The amount of money that’s needed
is so great, that if they simply took all the state aid that goes to the 10
percent of wealthiest districts, someone told me it would be less than 1
percent of what they need to solve the problem,” she says.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The goal, Frankel says, should be to
bring all school districts up to an equitable funding level, and not take money
away from certain schools to fund others.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Pataki, in his State of the State
speech earlier this year, shunned the Robin Hood approach.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “We cannot be taking resources from
one school district to meet the needs of another,” he said.
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2004.
