Sunday, January 19, 2025
Since the November election, I have been eager to resume my work as the Assemblywoman in District 21 and tackle the tough issues affecting families across Long Island. Most recently, one of my primary focuses has been addressing the complex challenges of equitable funding for public schools and meeting the needs of our local school districts.
I recently attended an education forum of the Southwest Quadrant, which encompasses districts in southwestern Nassau County. The key topics there were the future of foundation aid, funding challenges, infrastructure and school safety, and charter schools. The forum provided invaluable information, including insight from superintendents, administrators, Board of Education trustees and PTA leaders. Their combined expertise offered a comprehensive understanding of the issues our schools face and the support they need from the state.
Since I began representing the 21st district in 2019, I’ve observed that our school districts share many challenges. Space limitations are a significant issue, with many districts forced to host universal pre-kindergarten programs at off-district sites.
The Rockville Centre school district recently addressed this issue through an inter-municipal agreement with the village, creating 36 new pre-K seats at the village recreation center. Previously, the district relied on the Friedberg JCC, in Ocean-side, to accommodate all families in the district. The Barry and Florence Friedberg JCC, in Lynbrook, and the Tiny Tykes Early Learning Center and Tutor Time, in East Rockaway, also host pre-K for local districts.
In recent years, local districts have also faced rising numbers of English language learners, often from economically disadvantaged or homeless families. The demand for special-education services, mental health support, and health care accommodations has also surged. At the same time, schools are grappling with escalating costs of building maintenance, school and cybersecurity, technology upgrades and transportation.
Transportation costs, in particular, have become a significant financial burden, especially in districts that transport large numbers of non-public-school students. Some districts also struggle with the financial impact of charter schools, which can divert resources from public schools. One local administrator suggested revising the state’s charter school approval process to limit expansions and regulate tuition rates — an idea that warrants further consideration.
While many districts are experiencing declining enrollment, the number of students with substantial needs continues to grow. Foundation aid calculations should not rely solely on population metrics. Schools today are tasked with addressing a broader range of needs than ever before. Yet Long Island districts consistently contribute more in taxes than they receive in state aid, increasing financial pressures at the local level.
Despite these challenges, I am inspired by the progress our schools are making. To support these efforts, I’ve met with superintendents and school leaders from Hewlett, Lynbrook and East Rockaway, and plan to meet with others soon.
During tours of Lynbrook and East Rockaway schools, guided by Superintendents Dr. Paul Lynch and Dr. James DeTommaso, I witnessed how these districts are supporting students of all abilities. Their innovative approaches to addressing mental health challenges, accommodating ELL students, and meeting the increasing needs of children with special-education requirements were remarkable. A standout moment was observing the student cafés in Lynbrook and East Rockaway, where educators and special-ed students collaborated seamlessly to serve drinks and snacks to the school population.
On Dec. 18 I attended a legislative briefing hosted by the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association and the Long Island Education Coalition, on the Rockefeller Institute Report, a comprehensive study on recalculating the foundation aid formula. The session focused on the report’s recommendations, and also offered a platform to discuss key issues impacting public schools on Long Island. It was an invaluable opportunity to exchange ideas with experts, administrators and fellow legislators.
The briefing was extremely important as we enter 2025 with the prospect of recalculating the foundation aid formula in this year’s state budget. The formula’s base calculations have not been updated since 2016-17. But no change should be made in a vacuum, and must account for the many variables that have been added in the past decade to balance the formula. It’s clear that the growing changes in demographics and the variety of new metrics need to be considered in recalculating the formula. This will be challenging, and will require much more discussion, deliberation and reflection.
I look forward to discussing this more extensively in Albany, and hope to form a working group in the hopes of delving further into the topic with my colleagues on Long Island and throughout the state’s suburban areas at the next roundtable on Jan. 30.
Judy Griffin represents the 21st Assembly District.
