Long Island school officials say limited state budget increases and a growing student population will create a crisis in the near future.
New York uses a formula called Foundation Aid to distribute more than half of the state’s education budget. Critics say outdated information about enrollment and poverty rates means the funding is not distributed fairly.
David Bennardo, superintendent of the South Huntington School District, says limited budget increases in recent years mean districts have had to get funds from their reserves, and that can’t become a pattern.
“If a pattern develops in districts like Commack, districts like South Huntington and all the other districts on Long Island, we’ll be in crisis.”
He says state lawmakers need to pay attention to the growing needs of the student population on Long Island as they reform the foundation aid formula.
