Last year’s FY26 state budget changed the formula used to determine how much education funding, known as Foundation Aid, New York state provides to each school district per student. As a result, NYC schools received $314 million less than they would have under the previous formula. This funding gap stems from updates to the poverty weight, which now measures poverty the same way across every school district statewide. This update fails to account for the significantly higher cost of living in New York City compared with many other regions of the state.

We know that New York City public school students – especially those experiencing homelessness or in foster care – face unique barriers to academic opportunity. That's why we are supporting two state bills that would add funding for every student who is homeless or in foster care (S.8139/A.9048) and update the formula’s Regional Cost Index to account for the higher costs of living in New York City (S.8125/A.9049). We are calling on Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature to make these changes in the upcoming state budget!