Last month, Governor Hochul presented a $252 million Executive Budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year. This includes $37.4 billion in school aid spending, or an increase of 4.7 percent. Below is a summary of some of the most impactful areas in public education.

Changing Foundation Aid
The Executive Budget begins the process of reforming the Foundation Aid formula by updating two measures of the percentage of low-income students in a school district, consistent with the recommendations of the Rockefeller Institute of Government and the Board of Regents. The proposal will drive more aid to low-wealth school districts and guarantee that each district will receive at least a two percent increase in Foundation Aid. Foundation Aid represents about 70 percent of all school aid. An estimate of school aid runs is available at https://tinyurl.com/FY26aid.

Enacting cell phone bans
Governor Hochul proposes to restrict the unauthorized use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices on school grounds during school hours to ensure a distraction-free learning environment. She cited a study that found 95 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds have access to smartphones and they’re receiving over 250 notifications per day.

The plan would direct schools to come up with distraction-free school policies. Schools would have flexibility in how they implement the ban, including exemptions for students with medical reasons, to assist non-English speakers, and for students with learning disabilities. The Executive Budget proposal includes $13.5 million to aid in the purchase of lockers, pouches or other equipment to store devices.

Expanding meals for all students
The Governor is also proposing $340 million to provide free school breakfast and free school lunch for every student in New York. Currently, 90 percent of the state’s students are eligible for free meals. This proposal would enable the remaining 10 percent of students to receive free meals.

Launching the College in the High School Opportunity Fund
The 2026 fiscal year budget provides $64.6 million for this fund, including $52.4 million for Smart Scholars, Smart Transfer, and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs, and $12.2 million to provide new ongoing, per-credit funding for College in the High School programs. This program will focus on providing support for economically disadvantaged students and will be free for students in qualified programs.

Questar III BOCES offers an Early College High School and P-TECH program in partnership with Hudson Valley Community College. Students from Columbia, Greene and Rensselaer counties can earn both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree simultaneously at the Questar III & HVCC STEM High School, located on the Hudson Valley Community College campus.

The Governor is also proposing $1.8 billion to expand access to childcare and $1.3 billion in new capital funding for public colleges and universities in the SUNY and CUNY systems. Additionally, she is proposing $825 million to expand the Child Tax Credit over two years, giving eligible parents $1,000 for kids under 4-years-old and $500 for kids ages 4-16.

It is important to note that this is just a portion of the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal – and the starting point for the state’s budget development discussions. The Governor and State Legislature must now negotiate a final agreement for the start of the state’s new fiscal year on April 1.

Residents across the region and state will vote on their local school district’s proposed spending plan and elect school board members on Tuesday, May 20. Learn more by visiting your district’s website or attending a school board meeting.

This column will appear in the Register Star and The Daily Mail newspapers.

Let’s look ahead at some of the items impacting public education in the coming months.

School funding

School funding will continue to be a focus of conversations in Albany and across the state. Last January, Governor Hochul sought to remove “save harmless” in the Foundation Aid formula. This provision, which prevents districts from receiving less funding than it did the prior year, would have impacted more than 300 districts this school year. Ultimately, the Legislature rejected this change, and the Governor and Legislature agreed to fund a Foundation Aid study by the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

The Rockefeller Institute held five listening tours across the state to gather feedback on the formula, which accounts for about 70 percent of state aid that is distributed to schools. Much of the feedback centered on the fact that the Foundation Aid formula is outdated (such as using poverty data from the 2000 Census).

The institute’s final report – issued last month – recommended several changes, from updating certain calculations to phasing out the safe harmless provision over time. Following the report’s release, Governor Hochul was quoted that she now opposed cutting funding to some schools with declining enrollment.

Last month, the state Board of Regents issued its state aid proposal, which like the Rockefeller report is non-binding. The Regents called for an increase in Foundation Aid to account for updated poverty rates, regional cost index, and economically disadvantaged counts.

As mandated by the state constitution, the Governor will present her executive budget proposal later this month – the start of the state’s annual budget cycle, with its April 1^st budget deadline. School boards will then adopt spending proposals in mid to late April and residents will vote on their local district’s proposed budget on Tuesday, May 20.

Cell phones

The debate over cell phone use in schools also continues locally and across the state. New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) has called for the Governor and Legislature to provide consistent, statewide restrictions on cellphone use during the school day. The organization cited the harmful impact of social media and the distraction on learning.

The Governor, which has also expressed similar concerns, conducted a listening tour on this issue. She has indicated that she will look to implement a statewide policy during this legislative session.

Until now, the decision has remained a local one for school boards. For example, Schoharie CSD implemented a ban two years ago which included smartphones, flip phones, smartwatches and earbuds. Opponents have argued that cell phones can be valuable resources, both for learning, and communicating during an emergency.

If implemented, New York would join five other states in passing legislation to ban or restrict students’ use of cell phones statewide or direct local districts to form their own policies. This includes Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Virginia. Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country, voted to implement a ban starting this month.

Regionalization

School districts locally and across the state are meeting with their local Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to work on regionalization plans as part of a statewide initiative. Regionalization – which was the focus of my November column – seeks to address challenges like declining enrollment, budget constraints, and inequitable access to resources. Local districts can choose to participate in opportunities to continue to build on the spirit of the cooperative by developing programs and services together. Each of the 37 BOCES will send an interim progress report to the New York State Department of Education on their region’s work and conversations by April 1.

The output of this initiative, the regional plans and recommendations, seek to highlight the work local districts are already doing, uplift the work they are planning to do, and identify the resources and supports they need to carry out their plans—especially those they wish to recommend the state consider in shaping future budget and legislative priorities, and policy/regulation changes.

We are committed to making this more than a compliance activity with the state, but rather a means to improve the outcomes, opportunities, and operations of our local school districts. Together, our conversations will help to inform local decision making in meeting the needs of all students and strengthening our public education system.

This column will appear in the Register Star and The Daily Mail newspapers.

In November, the New York State Education Department presented NY Inspires, its plan to transform public education across the state over the next five years. This initiative, designed to promote greater equity within the education system, was informed by extensive stakeholder engagement over the past five years, including in-person and online sessions, some which were facilitated locally by Questar III BOCES. Thank you to those who provided feedback.

The proposed transformations – which align with recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures – include some of the most significant changes in public education in the state in more than 150 years. Key elements of the state’s plan include:

• Implementation of Four Transformations: This includes adopting the New York State Portrait of a Graduate, redefining credits to focus on proficiency, decoupling Regents assessment from graduation requirements, and moving to one diploma. The New York State Portrait of a Graduate would require students to demonstrate proficiency in seven essential areas: critical thinking, effective communication, cultural and social-emotional competences, innovative problem solving, literacy across content areas, and global citizenry.
• Phased Approach: The plan features a structured timeline consisting of a planning year followed by three distinct phases for implementation. The image below shows the changes that will be implemented over the next five years.
• Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement: The state is committed to incorporating additional opportunities for stakeholder feedback throughout the process.
• Focus on Planning and Professional Development: The plan allocates time for thorough planning, professional learning opportunities, and clear communication among all participants.

Ninth graders who begin high school in the fall of 2027 would be the first cohort not required to pass Regents Exams to earn a high school diploma although these exams would continue to be offered in math, English, and science to comply with federal testing requirements. These students would have additional pathways to graduation, including internships, work-based learning, capstone projects or community service. The state expects the new graduation measures to be fully phased-in by the 2029-30 school year.

The state also proposes to add new required courses in the 2026-27 school year, including financial literacy.

Ultimately, the State Board of Regents must approve any changes to the state’s graduation requirements. Questar III will continue to provide our school districts with leadership and professional development support as these changes will have far-reaching implications for our students, teachers, and collaborative work moving forward.

Please visit www.nysed.gov/grad-measures to learn more.

This column will appear in the Register Star and The Daily Mail newspapers.

As the District Superintendent of the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene counties, I am tasked with helping local school districts with a New York State Education Department (NYSED) initiative called Regionalization. The purpose of this initiative is to foster discussions and ideas to improve student opportunities and operational efficiencies by sharing resources.

To start, let me share what regionalization is not. It is not about forcing merger, annexation or unwanted services onto local districts. It is also not about forming a super BOCES or duplicating what we already do as an educational service agency.

For more than 75 years, BOCES across the state have provided a means for districts to do together what may be difficult, if not impossible, to do alone. This initiative continues this long-standing practice of collaboration and cooperation, from shared programs and services to participating in regional dialogues.

Regionalization is designed to spur regional conversations across the state to leverage existing strengths and expertise to address common challenges. These challenges – which include declining student enrollment, fiscal constraints and potential changes to school funding, and educational inequities – impact school communities differently.

Possible examples of Regionalization could range from developing new programs to sharing resources. This collaboration does not have to happen within the BOCES; it could be done between districts. We already have examples of this, such as local districts that have merged sports teams (such as Berlin and New Lebanon for all sports) to districts that share staff, programming, or equipment with others.

NYSED will play a key role in facilitating these conversations. It will provide guidance, resources and support to help districts identify their unique needs and develop collaborative solutions.

As the District Superintendent, I will serve as a facilitator to compile the plan and recommendations based on input from our superintendents and others, and to foster ideas and collaboration among our districts.

In April 2025, I will be required to submit an interim progress report with NYSED on what has been discussed regarding the region’s strengths, needs, and preliminary suggestions for action including requests for legislative changes, regulatory changes/relief, or additional resources.

As part of Regionalization, local school districts are required to:

• complete an online survey to summarize and reflect on their local strengths, needs, and vision (due December 6, 2024)
• participate in regional convenings to discuss the aggregate needs of our tri-county region
• help develop a regional plan and set of recommendations for creating and enhancing access to opportunities for all students in our region
• collaborate to implement and amend, as appropriate, regional plans beginning in the 2026-27 school year if their district has an activity listed in the plan for their school(s), and
• Engage in the planning process to reflect on progress and update the region’s plans and recommendations every 10 years.

Our region’s final plan, due October 2025, will be developed by the school districts in Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene counties. It will include a regional activity plan, or the items the districts have agreed to work on together. It will also include regional ideas and recommendations, or items that districts would consider pursuing regionally if they had additional resources, or legislative/regulatory changes. Districts will not be required to participate in any activities or commit local resources without their agreement or consent.

The output of this initiative, the regional plans and recommendations, seek to highlight the work local districts are already doing, uplift the work they are planning to do, and identify the resources and supports they need to carry out their plans—especially those resources and support they wish to recommend NYSED consider in shaping future budget and legislative priorities, and policy/regulation changes.

We are committed to making this more than a compliance activity with the state, but rather a means to improve the outcomes, opportunities, and operations of our local school districts. Together, our conversations will help to inform local decision making in meeting the needs of all students and strengthening our public education system.

This column appeared in the Register Star and The Daily Mail newspapers.