Skoufis Speaks Out on Hochul Education Portion of State Budget

Skoufis Celebrates Some Education Wins, 

Criticizes Governor’s UPK (Universal Pre-Kindergarten) Betrayal

Senator James Skoufis (D-Orange County) touted hard-fought education wins in this year’s enacted budget. Amidst a long negotiation process fraught with unnecessary stalling and last-minute changes, New York students, teachers, and schools will see measurable benefits from these education victories. 

• Universal School Meals: Skoufis has long argued the necessity of the expansion of school meals to include all students, no matter where their families fall on the income spectrum. This year–for the first time ever–the enacted budget includes $340 million to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student across New York State. 

• Funding Boost: New Yorkers will see a boost to public school funding, with $26 billion in Foundation Aid, a $100 million increase over the Governor’s proposal. As part of this agreement, every school will receive at least a 2% Foundation Aid increase, resulting in an over $29 million increase for Orange County schools.

• Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone Ban: Every kid deserves a chance to learn in school, and that can be hard with a distraction machine in the form of a phone. This bell-to-bell cell phone ban will ban smart devices during the school day, a move championed by teachers and school administrators.

Senator Skoufis said, “As a lawmaker, I have an obligation to fight tooth and nail to support our children and educators. Having the Governor low-ball school aid is nothing new, so I was proud that my like-minded Senate and Assembly colleagues came together to push back, ensuring our schools are properly funded. As someone who has advocated for it for years, the completed phase-in of universal school meals was particularly gratifying. Nourished kids walking into fairly funded classrooms levels the playing field and, though there is still much work to be done, it was an honor to cast a vote in support of this bill.”

Despite these important investments in young learners, the Governor once again abandoned the planned expansion to truly universal pre-kindergarten, a priority Senator Skoufis has long championed. Without this vital commitment to early childhood education, too many Orange County parents are forced to make the impossible choice of paying their mortgage or giving their four year old the social and educational opportunities they deserve.  

“I am deeply disappointed by the Governor’s continued rejection of a full expansion of UPK in this budget,” said Skoufis. “New York families across the state have been counting on Governor Hochul, but they have been betrayed once again. With the average cost of private preschool easily exceeding $10,000, we are asking New York parents to make painful decisions about what necessities to prioritize. The State of New York should be investing in our kids, and I’m going to keep fighting to see this promise fulfilled.”