Castricone: Cuomo and Legislature Playing Games on School Aid

LEGISLATIVE PRESS RELEASE FROM DAN CASTRICONE

Citing valid complaints of school superintendents and educators throughout New York, NY Assembly candidate Dan Castricone today called on the legislature to ‘eliminate the gap elimination adjustment,’ labeling it a scheme concocted by legislators to avoid proper funding of local schools.

The so called ‘Gap Elimination Adjustment’ formula enacted in 2010 cuts a portion of state aid to schools across the board at budget time. The scheme has cost school districts in New York billions, according to the Journal News, forcing schools to close, staff to be cut, and needed programs to be eliminated. All the while Albany continues to dump unfunded mandates and half-baked curriculum change like Common Core on our schools.

“On the one hand, Cuomo is telling school districts to keep property taxes down, and that’s a good idea,” said Castricone. “But it is hard for school districts to do that when anticipated school aid is cut at budget time using the ‘Gap Elimination Adjustment.’

“I have a better idea,” said Castricone. “Help school districts keep taxes down by properly funding schools. Return the lottery revenues to their intended purpose, funding our schools. Education aid is one of the most important tasks of state government. Give it the priority is deserves. And to those legislators now hiding behind something called the ‘Gap Elimination Adjustment,’ to escape blame for underfunding local schools, stand up and do your job. If you want to cut aid to schools, tell us why schools are less important than the pork contained in the state budget.”