THE ASSEMBLY

STATE OF NEW YORK

ALBANY

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510 CAPITOL
Albany, New York 12248-0
(518) 455-5383 FAX (518) 45
SAMUEL D. ROBERTS
Assemblyman 128th District
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Email: robertss@assembly.sta

March 11, 2015

Mayor Bill de Blasio
City Hall
New York NY 10007
Dear Mayor de Blasio:
New York City, the wealthiest school district in New York State, has a budget surplus of $1.58
billion. So why ask for the Assembly to increase funding to NYC at the expense of truly poor
urban and rural districts in Upstate New York that dont have anywhere near the tax base and
surplus of NYC?
My Mayor, Honorable Stephanie A. Miner, says that New York City is owed additional State
funding of $2.6 billion under the CFE ruling. However, in 2006 the Court of Appeals mandated
additional funding for the NYC school district of $1.93 billion from all sources not just from
State funds. Over the past nine years, NYCs total funding has increased by well over this
required amount, exceeding Campaign for Fiscal Equity funds for NYC.
The irony is that while New York City has $1.58 billion surplus, it is requesting money based on
CFE the core principle of which is that district need and wealth should be taken into account in
State funding allocations and that poorer districts should receive higher State funding to
account for a lower potential tax base. The court found that inputs should be calibrated to
student need and hence that state aid should increase where need is high and local ability to pay is
low. Conversely, State aid should decrease when ability to pay is high, as with NYC. To fully
comply with CFE, I would assert that NYC, who has greater resources, should contribute to the
funding of its poorer neighbors and school districts within the State.
The Assembly has focused its attention and funding on New York City for far too long at the
expense of the other 676 school districts statewide.

Respectfully yours,

Samuel D. Roberts