ACTION NEEDED BY THIS FRIDAY: Tell New York State To Fix The Broken School Funding Formula

Dear New York Residents,

A few weeks ago, New York State Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty Rosa significantly and unilaterally raised the tax levy upon the predominantly Jewish district of East Ramapo, New York. In her order she blamed many people, but ignored the true culprit, a faulty state funding formula. Instead of appreciating parents who, at great personal sacrifice, self-fund their children’s education, saving the state nearly a half a billion dollars annually in East Ramapo alone, the state enacted punitive tax levies to compensate for a broken formula that doesn’t account for these nonpublic school students. Agudath Israel of America expressed outrage and concern with the ramifications of the order and is working with others on pathways to respond to these actions.

For the next few days there is something that every New Yorker, and especially East Ramapo residents, can do about it.

The Rockefeller Institute has been tasked by the state to conduct a study to assess the State’s Foundation Aid education funding formula and discuss potential modifications to how the formula works. As the form letter describes, the major issues with the formula is that it does not account for nonpublic students at all and uses obsolete data.

Please write your own comment letter or personalize the form letter below to make your voice heard.