Officials Celebrate Full State Funding For Ossining, Peekskill Schools

OSSINING, NY — After years of lobbying in Albany by frustrated parents and officials of the Ossining and Peekskill schools, a state budget has been approved that gives the two districts all the money they were supposed to get under the state's aid formulas since the Campaign for Fiscal Equity won its lawsuit in 2006.

The details were discussed and celebrated by State Senator Pete Harckham, Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, Ossining schools Superintendent Dr. Ray Sanchez and Peekskill schools Superintendent Dr. David Mauricio at a news conference in Ossining Thursday afternoon.

The two communities have historically been short-changed when it comes to state education funding.

"What made the lack of funding so inequitable, some school districts of means were actually getting more than districts with low property wealth," Harckham said.

This has been an incremental change — the districts left behind did receive 80 percent last year after years of lobbying.

Sanchez thanked everyone who came together to fight for equity and opportunity. When he started in Ossining a decade ago, he pointed out, the district was receiving just 47 percent of the aid the state's formula said it should.

For the Ossining Union Free School District, the new state budget includes $53.2 million in school aid, an increase of $11.3 million, or 27.2 percent. Ossining Foundation Aid is $37.1 million, an increase of $12.1 million, or 48.4 percent.

Mauricio said key to the success was sustained, cooperative work by parents, teachers and officials. "I had dreamed it would happen, I had fought for it to happen, but I wasn't sure it would happen in my administrative lifetime," he said.

For the Peekskill City School District, the new state budget includes $65.9 million in school aid, an increase of $9.9 million from last year, or 17.8 percent. Peekskill Foundation Aid is $51.4 million, an increase of $10.2 million, or 24.9 percent.

Levenberg gave a shout-out to her predecessor, Sandy Galef, whose work on this issue led to the change.

Joining Harckham, Levenberg and the two superintendents were other Westchester politicians, school board members from the two school districts, educators, union officials and students from Roosevelt School.

Included in the state's FY2024 budget is a record $34.5 billion in total School Aid for the 2024 school year, marking the highest level of State aid ever, they said.

SEE ALSO:

• Peekskill and Ossining Join Forces in Local Ed Walk as Schools Across NYS Demand Fiscal Equity
• Ossining Schools State Aid Underfunded by 60 Percent
• Ossining Community Invited to Educational Equity Rally