The following open letter to the western New York legislative delegation was recently released by the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. View a printable pdf of the letter or read the text below.
October 14, 2011
Many of New York’s rural schools are in danger of falling into structural deficit. The fault lies not with those districts, their superintendents or their boards of education but is rather the result of three straight years of aid cuts, freezes and a handful of policy initiatives enacted by state leaders.
Low-wealth schools have already endured a round of catastrophic staff reductions, the elimination of enrichment and remedial programs and the realization that they will be unable to provide the “sound, basic education” guaranteed under the state constitution to all children.
Dozens more districts will join them in 2012-13 as the full impact of an ill-conceived property tax cap, an inherently inequitable state aid distribution formula, the exhaustion of reserve funds and the lack of promised mandate relief combine to create a fiscal “perfect storm” resulting in a crushing loss of capacity and programs for schools serving hundreds of thousands of children.Michael Rebell of Columbia University reminds us that state government has a constitutional obligation to do more than just exhort low-wealth districts to “do more with less.” Government must provide the tools and resources necessary for the delivery of a “sound, basic education” for all of New York’s schoolchildren.
However, according to a report issued in August by the Center for American Progress, distribution of state aid for education has actually led to a bi-modal public education system in New York. The Center characterized our state’s school funding as “highly regressive.” The report concluded that the wide variation in fiscal equity led to a circumstance where “highly regressive states are providing fewer resources to their high-poverty districts even though those districts serve many disadvantaged children with high levels of need.”
Last year’s regressive state aid package, looming property tax cap, increased costs and lack of mandate relief predictably resulted in the closing of several school buildings, the loss of hundreds of jobs and the elimination, suspension or reduction of needed programming for thousands of our region’s most disadvantaged young people. I urge you to put aside both political differences and allegiances to party leaders and vote to reform the state aid formula so that the children you represent are not harmed to an even greater degree. The argument put forth that significant mandate relief would follow once a tax cap was imposed was specious from the very beginning and never materialized. Low-wealth schools are now caught in a cycle of escalating costs, reduced revenues and lost programs and services for children.
Our schools, students and communities are under duress and need your support and advocacy. The stripping away of programs and services from those who need it most is shortsighted. It will result in lost potential, wasted opportunity and the exacerbation of a bi-modal public school system. Worse, it perpetuates an increasingly “have” and “have not” America, with those in rural and urban centers suffering the most. The gradual and undeniable dismantling of solid local schools only contributes to the regression in the quality of life experienced in rural communities.
Please stand united with other members of the western New York legislative delegation in representing the interests of young people. Insist on an equitable, predictable and fair state aid formula during this legislative session.
The inequity of opportunity in New York’s public schools should be a matter of conscience and a source of shame for every citizen, regardless of where they live in the state, but for you and your fellow elected officials representing this region it should be an affront. Vote “no” on any budget proposal that falls short of addressing funding so that all children in New York might realize their fullest potential. Thank you.