Senate Announces Hearing To Examine Alternative Methods of Funding Public Education

(Albany, NY) The Senate today announced that a public hearing on financing public education in New York State will be held on Wednesday, May 29. Senator Shelley Mayer, Chair of the Senate Committee on Education and Senator Brian Benjamin, Chair of the Senate Committee on Budget and Revenues will lead this hearing. This event will provide an opportunity for national experts in economics and school finance to discuss potential alternatives to New York State’s current financing of public education, including additions, alternatives and modifications to existing sources of revenue.

Chair of the Senate’s Education Committee, Senator Shelley Mayer said, “It is imperative that New York hear from national experts about alternative methods of financing public education. This hearing will provide an essential opportunity to learn from researchers about how other states generate revenue, and the benefits and drawbacks of alternative financing systems, so we can begin to explore potential financing measures we can adopt in New York that are both equitable and stable for our education system. This is the first step in the process as we examine methods to raise revenue for, and distribute revenue within, our public education system.”

Chair of the Senate’s Committee on Budget and Revenues, Senator Brian Benjamin said, “Providing for the maintenance and support of a system of free public schools for the education of New York’s children is central to our role as legislators. This hearing will allow us to gather information about how we can best meet that constitutional duty, and give us new insights into how New York can grow as a leader in public education and education funding. New York’s children deserve the best education possible, and New York’s taxpayers deserve the most responsible use of their hard-earned wages. I look forward to beginning an examination of both with my colleague Senator Mayer.” 

The hearing will be in Albany on Wednesday, May 29, at 10:00 AM in the Legislative Office Building Hearing Room B.

The witnesses will include:

• Bruce Baker, Ed.D., Professor, Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education.
• Thomas Downes, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Tufts University, Department of Economics
• Emily Parker, Senior Policy Analyst, Education Commission of the States (ECS), Education Management
• Daniel Thatcher, Program Director, National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL), State Education Finance

Oral testimony is by invitation only. To submit written testimony, please email Georgia Asciutto: asciutto@nysenate.gov and Phil Giltner: giltner@senate.ny.gov.