Subject:

Tell your lawmakers to fully fund Foundation Aid and update the formula to serve today's students!

Dear Legislator,

As your constituent and someone who cares deeply about supporting public education, I urge you to advocate for fully funding Foundation Aid and updating the formula to reflect today's costs.

In 2023, New York finally met its Foundation Aid funding requirement, and we are already seeing some improvements: schools are modernizing facilities and equipment; restoring art and music programs; building state-of-the-art CTE labs; and filling key staff positions to meet student needs. The transformation is proof of what is possible when the state keeps its commitment to students.

However, there is still a lot of work to do. Communities are relying on schools for more and more, which means they are stretched thinner. Fully funding Foundation Aid did not magically fix every old school building. It did not replace every outdated book in every school library. It did not update every science lab.

The current formula still does not represent the true costs of educating New York's current student population, including demographics like English language learners and homeless students. We must address elements such as the Regional Cost Index and the impact that New York’s property tax cap law has on school funding.

But in the short term, I urge you to increase the Foundation Amount per child for 2026-27.

Fully funding Foundation Aid cannot be a one-time deal. It must be an annual promise to our students that no matter their zip code, their public school will have what it takes to help them thrive.

Thank you for your consideration. I respectfully ask that you raise this issue with your conference and would greatly appreciate a response.

Sincerely,

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