Lawmakers say proposed formula changes would shortchange NYC schools

Education advocates and elected officials fear proposed changes to a state funding formula will slash the amount of money city schools receive from Albany as the Trump administration threatens federal education funding for New York.

“We’re going to fight to make sure the city is not shortchanged,” state Sen. John Liu, said during a news conference in Albany on Wednesday.

Liu raised concerns over proposed tweaks to the Foundation Aid formula, which since 2007 has determined how much money each school district receives from the state. The formula takes into account regional salaries and poverty rates, but many education advocates, including some of those at Wednesday’s news conference, have called for an overhaul, saying it relies on outdated information.

In response to those calls, Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this year included revisions to the formula as part of her proposed budget. While advocates applauded some of the governor’s planned changes, they said they oppose her plan to calculate poverty levels based on federal guidelines, which they say would lead to the city losing roughly $350 million in education funding.

“The governor put something in [to the budget] that was at long last needed, and that was an update to Foundation Aid, but the problem is that the update wasn’t good enough,” Liu said.

Liu, along with other elected officials and advocates, called for changes to the funding formula that would deliver more money to city schools for homeless students, children in foster care, and students with disabilities. The group also called for additional funds to implement the recent law requiring smaller class sizes.

Hochul spokesperson Kara Fesolovich wrote in a statement that the changes are “responsible measures” to start the process of better aligning state spending with students’ needs.

“Gov. Hochul has delivered more funding to public schools than any governor in state history and has included over $14 billion in total school aid for New York City in her FY 2026 Executive Budget — a $703 million increase over last year,” she said.

The city’s total education budget is $40 billion, including a little more than $2 billion in federal funds.

Advocates and city elected officials said a reduction in state education funds could be particularly painful if the Trump administration follows through with threats to cut or withhold federal funding tied to gender and equity policies at city schools, or because of changes to the federal education department. In a court filing on Monday, officials said the layoffs at the federal agency have already delayed the disbursement of crucial education funds to New York.

“We have Republicans in DC right now looking to obliterate and dismantle education,” Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas of Queens said. “We must fully fund our schools.”