Assemblyman Graf Petitions For Increased School Aid

Describing Gov. Cuomo's executive budget proposal for school aid as "picking on Long Island's schools," New York State Assemblyman Al Graf has joined a consortium of local leaders to fight the proposed decrease in state aid to area schools, including Sachem.

Graf has teamed up with other members of the Long Island Assembly Minority Delegation to launch a petition on the online site Care2, demanding that the state government reconsider its decision to siphon monies away from Long Island schools. The goal of the petition is to reach 1000 signatures. Currently, the signatures are at 16 in total.

"Under the governor’s current proposal," the petition reads in part, "Long Island students would receive an average of $66 in new funding per student, far below the statewide average of $119 and the New York City average of $129 per student."

Last week the governor's office released its early numbers for school aid, which revealed that the Sachem School District would receive a decrease in aid by $2 million. Some area school districts of similar size and circumstances are also expecting decreases, but not nearly close to the dollar amount as Sachem. Patch drew some comparisons in a report here.

After the numbers were released, Superintendent James Nolan publicly criticized the decrease in aid, and vowed to work with Graf and other state leaders to rectify the cuts.

I'd like to remind the governor that Long Island is not the piggy bank for the rest of the state," Graf stated in a release. "A disproportionate share of education funds comes from the people of Long Island and the amount returned gets smaller and smaller every year."

Graf is urging the public to visit the online petition and sign it.