7/23/2019 AQE's Memo in Opposition to S6377

1/2

MEMO IN OPPOSITION

S6377

to Restore the Gap Elimination Adjustment

Do Not Epand Ine!uit" in Edu#ation

The Alliance for Quality Education is opposing S6377 a bill to fully restore the Gap Elimination

Adjustment. hile the GEA should be fully restored! it should not be fully restored until after the"oundation Aid funding! committed as part of the #ampaign for E$uity! is fully funded.

The "oundation Aid "ormula %as enacted in order to settle the #ampaign for "iscal E$uity

la%suit. &o%e'er! after being funded for t%o years! the #"E funding %as cut and the

commitment to fully fund #"E has no% been delayed for a decade. (nitially the GEA made cuts

across the board! but at this point most of the GEA has been restored.

)f the remaining GEA! according to the State Education *epartment data! only +3, is o%ed to

high needs school districts. -y contrast 77, of the "oundation Aid is due to high need school

districts according to SE* data. There is only //0 million in GEA still o%ed! but there is /./billion in "oundation Aid o%ed. The GEA should not be restored until the "oundation Aid is

fully funded.

#urrently there is an 1!733 gap per pupil in spending bet%een rich and poor districts. 2estoring

the GEA before fully funding "oundation Aid %ill %iden this gap. A 'ote for Senate -ill 6377 is

a 'ote for greater educational ine$uality.

Senators %ho represent high need school districts are 'oting against their o%n interests!

especially those representing small cities and rural districts. &igh eed Small #ities are o%ed

470 times as much "oundation Aid as GEA and high need rural districts are o%ed 447 times as

much. The -ig / are o%ed 53 times as much "oundation Aid and e% or #ity is o%ed ++

times as much.

(n addition! the "oundation Aid has been o%ed for a longer period than the GEA. The

"oundation Aid has been o%ed since +007! %hile the GEA did not e8ist until +040. And the

"oundation Aid is designed to address the historic ine$ualities that far predate the +007

enactment of "oundation Aid.

For Information: Alliance for Quality Education, 94 Central Ave., Albany, NY 1!" #1$%4&%

#&1#

'a(mine )ri**er, +ei(lative -irector

7/23/2019 AQE's Memo in Opposition to S6377

2/2

MEMO IN OPPOSITIONS6377

to Restore the Gap EliminationAdjustmentDo Not Epand Ine!uit" in Edu#ation

The Alliance for Quality Education is opposing S6377 a bill to fully restore the Gap EliminationAdjustment. hile the GEA should be fully restored! it should not be fully restored until after the"oundation Aid funding! committed as part of the #ampaign for E$uity! is fully funded.

The "oundation Aid "ormula %as enacted in order to settle the #ampaign for "iscal E$uity

la%suit. &o%e'er! after being funded for t%o years! the #"E funding %as cut and thecommitment to fully fund #"E has no% been delayed for a decade. (nitially the GEA made cutsacross the board! but at this point most of the GEA has been restored.

)f the remaining GEA! according to the State Education *epartment data! only +3, is o%ed tohigh needs school districts. -y contrast 77, of the "oundation Aid is due to high need schooldistricts according to SE* data. There is only //0 million in GEA still o%ed! but there is /./billion in "oundation Aid o%ed. The GEA should not be restored until the "oundation Aid isfully funded.

#urrently there is an 1!733 gap per pupil in spending bet%een rich and poor districts. 2estoring

the GEA before fully funding "oundation Aid %ill %iden this gap. A 'ote for Senate -ill 6377 isa 'ote for greater educational ine$uality.

Senators %ho represent high need school districts are 'oting against their o%n interests!especially those representing small cities and rural districts. &igh eed Small #ities are o%ed470 times as much "oundation Aid as GEA and high need rural districts are o%ed 447 times asmuch. The -ig / are o%ed 53 times as much "oundation Aid and e% or #ity is o%ed ++times as much.

(n addition! the "oundation Aid has been o%ed for a longer period than the GEA. The"oundation Aid has been o%ed since +007! %hile the GEA did not e8ist until +040. And the"oundation Aid is designed to address the historic ine$ualities that far predate the +007enactment of "oundation Aid.

For Information: Alliance for Quality Education, 94 Central Ave., Albany, NY 1!" #1$%4&%

#&1#

'a(mine )ri**er, +ei(lative -irector