Yonkers mayor in Albany advocating for more state aid for schools
Spano said without any changes to the current budget proposal the Yonkers City School District is set to lose $3.5 million in foundation-based aid.
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With less than a month to go before the deadline to finalize a state budget, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is spending several days in March advocating for additional state aid for schools.
"Every additional dollar I can get out of Albany is one less dollar that I have to charge the local property taxpayer and that's what we're fighting for," he said.
Spano said without any changes to the current budget proposal, the Yonkers City School District is set to lose $3.5 million in foundation-based aid. They're not alone, one-third of all the school districts in the lower Hudson Valley would also see a drop off in aid compared to this year.
“We’ve come to the limit of what our city and our residents can afford,” Spano said.
The mayor said several things are to blame, including the end of federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act, an increase in school enrollment over the last decade in Yonkers and a staggering increase in the amount the district invested into services like mental health and transportation.
"These are pretty drastic numbers that we are facing here at the city side and that's why I'm at the capitol," Spano said.
No changes to the current proposal could mean cuts to jobs and programs or increasing taxes on property owners to make up the difference.
Last month, the governor backed her proposal but many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have come out against it.
The New York state budget must be approved by April 1.
Mayor Spano will present his executive budget to the Yonkers City Council by April 15.
