ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Spending on elementary and secondary education will be the focus of the next legislative budget hearing in Albany.
Members of the Senate and Assembly are scheduled to gather Wednesday for the hearing, which will feature remarks from state education officials as well as from teacher unions and education advocacy organizations. Superintendents from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers and Utica are also expected to submit testimony.
Discussion will focus on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $175 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning April 1. The Democratic governor wants to increase education aid by $956 million for a total of $27.7 billion, including another $338 million in Foundation Aid, the general operating funding for school districts.
Another proposal in the budget would expand pre-kindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds in high-need school districts.
