To:  Governor Andrew Cuomo, Speaker Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Senate Majority Co-Leaders, Senator Dean Skelos and Senator Jeffrey Klein, Assembly Education Chair, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Senate Education Chair Senator John Flanagan, Assembly Ways & Means Chair, Assemblyman Herman Farrell, Senate Finance Chair, Senator John DeFrancisco, Assemblywoman Sandra Galef , Assemblyman David Buchwald, Assembyman Steve Katz, Senator David Carlucci & Senator Greg Ball 

We the taxpayers and citizens of Ossining, New York call on our state leaders to stop underfunding the Ossining Union Free School District. Ossining is one of eight districts that have been underfunded while experiencing increased enrollment. Student enrollment in Ossining schools has increased by 17% while state aid has decreased by $44 million in six years.

In New York State, the primary method for allocating state financial aid to school districts is with Foundation Aid. Foundation Aid was established to ensure that all students receive the same education regardless of their zip code. The community's ability to pay and the needs of our students are the main factors that determine how much Foundation Aid a school district receives. Wealthier districts should receive less aid and less wealthy districts should receive more.

However, in response to the financial crisis in 2008, New York State froze Foundation Aid for all schools in the state. Student needs, enrollment and community wealth are not 'frozen' and have changed substantially over the past six years.

While over 99% of districts in NY State have experienced declining enrollment since 2008, Ossining has increased in both its enrollment and student needs:

      17% increase in enrollment

      37% increase in free and reduced price lunch applicants

      27% increase in the number of students living in poverty 

      7% reduction in property value.

With Foundation Aid frozen at 2008 levels, many districts with substantially declined enrollments are being overfunded.   Ossining schools however, are getting unfairly underfunded as state financial aid does not take into account the current levels of increased enrollment, increased student needs and the community's ability to pay.

If Foundation Aid was not frozen and fully phased in, Ossining would have received an additional $36 million over the past six years. Also, due to the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA), New York State also cut an additional $8 million in school aid from Ossining to reduce its budget gap. As a result, Ossining is receiving only 55% of its rightful Foundation Aid allocation and is the eighth lowest Foundation Aid funded district out of over 700 districts across New York State. 

During a six year period where our schools have grown by 660 students the Ossining Union Free School District has cut over 100 positions, significantly increased class sizes, eliminated elementary school librarians, and substantially cut back or eliminated after-school programs, elementary enrichment, summer school, and modified and JV sports because the lack of funding. Our schools are rapidly approaching educational insolvency.  

These substantial cuts could have been avoided if Ossining received equitable funding.  We are requesting that New York State remediate this severe problem for the 2014-15 budget cycle and beyond. We request that NYS unfreeze Foundation Aid for the 1% of school districts that are underfunded and that have experienced increased enrollment each year since Foundation Aid was established.