Budget & finance
Dozens of cultural arts organizations flocked to Lincoln Center for an event held by Council member Gale Brewer, connecting local schools to arts education programs.
New York City officials are trying to rein in a private school special education payment system they say has run amok. Some families and advocates say they’ve gone too far.
The groups in the coalition previously joined forces to defend programs put at-risk by the expiration of federal stimulus dollars. Now, they want to see the state’s Foundation Aid formula updated.
Saferwatch worked with Corey Johnson, the former City Council speaker, to get its security app in schools. He says he had no clue that Terence Banks, brother to David Banks and Deputy Mayor Philip Banks, ended up replacing him.
Summer Rising costs the city roughly $240 million a year, but some observers question whether the program is the best use of city resources.
Michael Rebell, of the Center for Educational Equity, led a legal battle 30 years ago that paved the way for the state’s Foundation Aid formula.
Earlier this year, NYC officials blamed the upgraded cafeterias for encouraging kids to eat more, and as a result, they cut popular foods from school menus.
The city’s early childhood education system has taken center stage during budget negotiations between Mayor Eric Adams and City Council this year.
If the city doesn’t allocate additional funding, officials “will have an all out war with parents, teachers, and the Albany legislature,” the teachers union warned.
As NYC closes the books on a school year marked by curriculum changes, political strife, and budget woes, we’re already looking ahead to the first day of school on Sept. 7.
The pages break down how much money each school received per student, and allows you to compare it to the citywide average of roughly $21,112 per student.
The funding will help keep school budgets afloat, restore hours that had been cut from the city’s popular summer school initiative, and stabilize a slew of other programs.
Council members questioned officials as the looming expiration of federal COVID relief money threatens to shave $808 million from the Education Department’s budget.
The smaller budget is largely the result of expiring federal relief dollars, and Adams’ proposal saves a slew of programs that were on the chopping block.
By far, this marks the city’s largest commitment to date to replace the dwindling pandemic aid.
The staffers play a critical role on the front lines of two colliding crises: the exploding number of students living in homeless shelters, and elevated rates of chronic absenteeism in the wake of the pandemic.
Early childhood education programs have seen steep cuts in recent months.
The early childhood cuts, if reversed, would be the latest item slashed by Adams in recent months to get restored thanks to what city officials describe as an improving budget picture.
The Professional Performing Arts School, a Manhattan public school with such alums as Jeremy Allen White, Alicia Keys, and Britney Spears, is losing its theater program.
Advocates and lawmakers have raised concerns that some charter schools may be taking advantage of a state law requiring the city to cover their rental costs.