Hi John,

Last week, Governor Hochul dealt a severe blow to our students and communities by proposing a budget that blatantly prioritizes the ultra-wealthy over the urgent needs of our schools. Here’s what you need to know:

What’s Happening

Governor Hochul’s budget not only slashes promised Foundation Aid increases but also neglects child care and refuses to consider taxing the ultra-wealthy as a way to raise revenues for key social programs. Her decision is an alarming disregard for our students and their future.

Impact on Students

Our schools are left with almost half of the funds they were expecting, translating to fewer resources for our students. The Governor’s proposed budget touts investment in our future but fails to do so. Instead, it puts kids on the back burner.

What We Must Do

We cannot let Governor Hochul prioritize the wealthy yet again. It’s time to take action and urge our legislators to reject this harmful proposal AND to prioritize:

Fully funding Foundation Aid and an update to the formula, by funding the State Education Department to do so.
Fund immediate needs in the FY25 budget to make sure that there is no gap in the services provided by our public education system.
Invest in early childhood education by providing supplemental wages to the child care workforce and make child care assistance available to all children, regardless of their immigration status.
Pass legislation so millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share, and highly profitable corporations pay what they owe.

Call to Action

Email your legislators NOW and demand that they reject Governor Hochul’s proposed budget, and instead advocate for adequate school funding, universal child care, addressing expiring federal dollars, and implementing wealth taxes. Our students’ futures depend on it.

The urgency of this call to action cannot be overstated. Together, let’s assert our commitment to public education in our communities and deliver a resounding message to our elected officials that our state’s future demands prioritizing the well-being of all New Yorkers, not just a privileged few.

In solidarity,