Adams finds extra $90 million for neediest students
Schools that cater to the city’s neediest students will get an additional $90 million under a new funding proposal introduced Monday by the Adams administration.
The changes to what’s known as the Fair Student Funding formula would prioritize schools with students in temporary housing — including migrants from South American countries — and high concentrations of children in poverty, with disabilities and those learning English. They’re based on recommendations made by parents, policy experts and advocates this fall.
If implemented, the overhaul would spread $90 million across city schools. More than 300 schools are expected to benefit. The source of the new money was not immediately clear.
“Thanks to the work of our Fair Student Funding Working Group, we are prioritizing the needs and voices of students who have been long forgotten, and this is only the beginning of turning New York City public schools into a thoughtful institution for all,” said Mayor Adams in a statement.
Fair Student Funding makes up about twothirds of a school’s budget. Unlike centrally funded initiatives, principals can decide how to use those dollars at the school level. Most of the funding goes toward staffing, supplies and other basic expenses.
The formula sends money to schools based on the number of students it enrolls and their specific needs. At minimum, principals received $4,197 per child this school year — down by roughly $26 from the year prior. Students who struggled academically, do not speak English as a first language, or have a disability receive more.
An estimated 11,000 migrant students have enrolled in city schools since the summer and would qualify for the enhanced funding.
Adams and Chancellor David Banks also proposed speeding up a process where principals can appeal for more money if they are using those funds to staff general education classrooms for students with disabilities. They also vowed more transparency for families and the public.
Speaker Adrienne Adams and education committee Chair Rita Joseph said in a joint statement that they are “encouraged by changes to the budget appeal process and commitments to improve transparency around how DOE issues school budgets, so the public and government oversight entities are not left without basic information.”
The City Council has alleged the administration misled them about the extent of last year’s budget cuts. Joseph’s office confirmed the money next year will not be pulled from existing buckets, though its funding source was not immediately clear.
“We don’t know where the money is going to come from for the additional weights, so that’s a question that we have,” said Kaliris Salas-Ramirez, the Manhattan Borough President appointee to the Panel for Educational Policy, which was briefed on the changes Monday morning. “But overall, we think this is the right step and hope that we can continue these conversations.”
The Panel for Educational Policy will vote on the changes in April.