Specific school aid figures have been published by the state.
Beacon gets a 3.01 percent overall boost in aid. State aid is a hugely important part of our district's finances, with the total for 16-17 to stand at $27,314,853. Of that, $17,897,853 is for the major component, basic "Foundation Aid," and there are others like transportation and building.
This total includes the effect of the final, at long last, elimination of the infamous "Gap Elimination Adjustment" clawback, or GEA. That dates to the 2009-2010 school year when state legislators and the governor were looking for a way to fill a gap in the state's overall budget, which had been blamed largely on the fiscal effects of the Great Recession. It remained, over widespread objections from schools, even after those effects had ended.
In the previous fiscal year, Beacon lost $344,896 due to GEA. The current year shows there is no cut.
The overall effect of ending GEA and raising other aid is that we get an added $798,292 this year, comparing to the 15-16 total.
These results are significantly better than what Cuomo proposed in his executive budget, which contained an increase. The Legislature pushed for a larger boost in aid.
At the last Beacon school board meeting, Interim Superintendent Anne Marie Quartironi, was operating with the preliminary numbers in developing the budget and was hoping that the Senate and Assembly would provide more. They did. The enacted budget is $502,635 above the level stated in the proposed executive (governor's) budget.
Beacon gets a 3.01 percent overall boost in aid. State aid is a hugely important part of our district's finances, with the total for 16-17 to stand at $27,314,853. Of that, $17,897,853 is for the major component, basic "Foundation Aid," and there are others like transportation and building.
This total includes the effect of the final, at long last, elimination of the infamous "Gap Elimination Adjustment" clawback, or GEA. That dates to the 2009-2010 school year when state legislators and the governor were looking for a way to fill a gap in the state's overall budget, which had been blamed largely on the fiscal effects of the Great Recession. It remained, over widespread objections from schools, even after those effects had ended.
In the previous fiscal year, Beacon lost $344,896 due to GEA. The current year shows there is no cut.
The overall effect of ending GEA and raising other aid is that we get an added $798,292 this year, comparing to the 15-16 total.
These results are significantly better than what Cuomo proposed in his executive budget, which contained an increase. The Legislature pushed for a larger boost in aid.
At the last Beacon school board meeting, Interim Superintendent Anne Marie Quartironi, was operating with the preliminary numbers in developing the budget and was hoping that the Senate and Assembly would provide more. They did. The enacted budget is $502,635 above the level stated in the proposed executive (governor's) budget.