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Same old dance for education funding

Every year, business officials and the state Board of Regents throw out a ridiculous request for state aid increases across the state. The governor proposes an increase that is nowhere close to the Regents’ number. The state Legislature comes in and “saves the day” with a number somewhere in the middle. Going through the dance every year means our elected officials and the appointed officials tasked with improving education in New York state can have plenty of activity without ever realizing the system will eventually collapse. We had hoped that perhaps the dance would change this year and that common sense would miraculously break out amongst the education landscape in New York state.

Imagine our shock and surprise, then, when we reported last week that the state Board of Regents approved a state aid request asking for an increase of $2.1 billion. Such an increase is unrealistic when the state’s economy is flourishing. It’s downright crazy to think such money is forthcoming when the state has seen tax receipts lag behind projections for the last year.

Rather than right-sizing education in our state and reallocating dollars in a way that makes sense, New York is poised to waste another year on the merry-go-round. In January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will propose an aid increase that upsets those who feel the state needs an additional $2.1 billion in education aid. State legislators will approve more money than Gov. Cuomo proposes but less than the Board of Regents and education advocates say is necessary. Advocates will scream that Cuomo and the Legislature are shortchanging education. And we will stupidly repeat the entire charade next year.

It’s probably unrealistic to hope common sense would break out this year. Is next year too much to ask?

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