I expected to be disappointed with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s school aid proposal on Tuesday, but nothing prepared me for the shock of seeing foundation aid calculations that would wreak havoc on school budgets throughout the region.

We have not seen cuts to school districts like this since the Great Recession, yet our economy is healthy, unemployment is low, and inflation is on the decline. Why, during this optimistic time for business and industry, must public education take such a hit?

I represent the 4th Judicial District on the Board of Regents, and more than half of the districts within the 11 counties I represent would be slated for foundation aid cuts if the governor’s budget were to pass. Any school aid budget cuts to 50 or more districts throughout the region would be bad news enough. But the shock is even worse — 20 districts would see foundation aid cuts of 10% or more, and some would be looking at cuts in excess of 20% or even 30%! And despite the fact that many are small, rural districts these percentage cuts are not mere statistical eye-poppers. The dollar amounts are quite real, ranging from the hundreds of thousands to more than a million dollars in each district.

Dramatic foundation aid reductions like these would mean significant cuts to teachers and programs at a time when our children are in need of increased academic, behavioral and emotional support — especially those children who have struggled the most to recover from the shock of the pandemic. Rural schools are struggling with learning loss, mental health struggles and teacher shortages. The children who attend our rural schools need additional support, not tight-fisted policy proposals that ignore the challenges facing students and teachers every day.

Although the governor has proven in the past to be a supporter for our public schools, her present state aid proposal is misguided and potentially harmful for school districts throughout the state and the North Country.

Fortunately, the executive budget is only a proposal. The Legislature will have to agree on any school aid proposals before passing a final state budget.

I urge the Legislature to consider the Regents State Aid Proposal, released last month. The Regents proposal would maintain full foundation aid for every district, include a hold harmless provision to ensure that no district would see a foundation aid decrease, and update the formula so that foundation aid numbers reflect the real circumstances facing schools and districts today.

No state places a higher value on public education than New York. Children from rural communities throughout New York deserve the same high quality education as all children. We should demand no less. I am hopeful that the governor will see the obvious errors in this proposal, and that the Legislature will continue its steadfast support for all public schools, including rural schools.

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Regent Roger P. Catania is on the New York State Board of Regents, representing the 4th Judicial District. He is the retired superintendent of Lake Placid Central School District. He lives in Saranac Lake.