New York Governor Kathy Hochul visited Elmont on Tuesday to promote a record $771 million increase in state financial aid to Long Island schools for the 2023-24 academic year.
This is part of the recently approved state budget, releasing a historic $34.5 billion in total state aid for New York schools.
Hochul said the money will strengthen learning and help offset high property taxes.
“Do what you need to do to help our kids take care of our teachers and all the programs,” Hochul said.
“Please use that to find a way to help reduce that burden on our taxpayers, as well,” she added, “so they remain our taxpayers and their kids someday can raise their own families in the same community that they went to school themselves.”
The increase in state aid for Long Island schools is on top of back-to-back $400 million hikes the past two years. The increase in state aid averages 19% on Long Island, which is twice as high compared to the rest of New York.
Among the biggest beneficiaries are poorer districts in Brentwood, William Floyd and Hempstead. Some wealthier districts were held to minimum increases set by the state at 3%.
The Elmont school district has proposed a 0.04% decrease in its tax levy in its budget, following three years of similar declines. “And I'm encouraging other school districts to follow the lead right here,” Hochul said.
Cynthia Qasim, principal of the Dutch Broadway School in Elmont, said an increase in state aid will help their school strengthen their district’s two STEAM labs.
“Creating a pipeline for future engineers, mathematicians and scientists is imperative,” Qasim said. “Developing the foundational skills begins at the elementary level, where students can explore different concepts and build background knowledge that will help develop their skills to become thinkers and innovators and prepare them for jobs that don't even exist yet.”
