The Daily News: Legislation would end Gap Elimination Adjustment

Sen. Patrick M. Gallivan, R-Elma, said he is supporting legislation that would abolish the Gap Elimination Adjustment imposed on public schools in New York in 2010.

The bill (S.2743) would eliminate the GEA starting in 2015-16 and provide school districts the full amount of education aid based on existing budget funding formulas.

“The GEA has had a devastating impact on school districts across New York state, denying them critical education funding and putting an unfair burden on local taxpayers,” Gallivan said this week. “We have been successful in reducing the GEA in recent years, but now it’s time to eliminate it once and for all.”

The Gap Elimination Adjustment was introduced in 2010 by then governor David Paterson as a way to help close the state’s $10 billion budget deficit, reducing education aid to all school districts based on a set formula. Since 2010, public schools across the state have lost more than $9.5 billion in funding.

Over the past four years, the Genesee Valley Education

In the 2014-15 school year, public schools in Wyoming County schools lost $4,356,915; Livingston County schools lost $4,963,310; and Monroe County schools lost $56,493,815.

“This reduction in education funding has forced districts to raise taxes, cut classroom staff and eliminate student programs, jeopardizing the quality education every New York child deserves,” Gallivan said.

In recent years, Senate Republicans have voted to increase aid to education in order to counter the negative impacts of the GEA and to ensure funds were distributed fairly and equitably to all regions of the state.

Gallivan shared his concerns in a letter to Gov. Cuomo, who has included a $1.1 billion increase in education aid in his 2015-16 budget proposal. Gallivan is urging the governor to use that money to eliminate the GEA.

Gallivan’s bill corresponds with A.2271, introduced by Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake.

Earlier, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, said he would support legislation to end the GEA. Hawley backed Assembly Bill 8720 of 2014, which sought to end the education cuts.

Hawley, along with many members of the Assembly Minority Conference, has been outspoken about restoring the GEA for several years.

“School districts in New York State deserve to have these cuts restored,” Hawley said. “The Legislature has had the financial means to restore this education aid for years now, and the apparent surplus this year should go directly to fund our schools. It is unfortunate to see good teachers being laid off and students being placed at a disadvantage because Albany couldn’t balance its budget.

“These cuts were never intended to be permanent, but the legislature is hesitant to repay them each budget cycle,” he said.

Hawley’s comments came after members of the legislature made clear their plan to re-introduce a version of Assembly Bill 8720 for the current legislative term.

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