“By the Numbers” – School Aid Recommendations in the 2010-11 Executive Budget

The 2010-11 Executive Budget recommends $20.5 billion for School Aid, a $1.1 billion or 5 percent reduction from 2009-10. A look at this proposal, “By the Numbers,” indicates that the vast majority of school districts should be able to manage these reductions without adversely impacting property taxpayers or educational quality.

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42 percent or $6.1 billion: Increase in School Aid spending compared to 2003-04, even after the proposed 2010-11 reduction. This increase is more than twice the rate of inflation during that period.

141 percent or $12 billion: Increase in School Aid spending compared to 1991-92, even after the proposed 2010-11 reduction. This increase is also more than twice the rate of inflation during that period.

2 percent: Proposed 2010-11 year-to-year reduction ($1.1 billion) as a percentage of overall school district budgets ($52 billion), including State and local contributions.

$15,536: New York per pupil overall education spending – 61 percent above the national average.

$7,328: New York per pupil spending on school district employee salaries – 71 percent above the national average.

$2,901: New York per pupil spending on school district employee benefits – 109 percent above the national average.

$1.5 billion: Total amount of reported undesignated reserves held by school districts statewide, which could potentially be used to mitigate proposed State aid reductions.

$200 million: Annual local capital savings projected from Governor Paterson’s proposed repeal of the Wicks Law mandate for school districts.

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