Governor’s Budget Includes Landmark Funding for All Rockland County School Districts, Following Senator Weber's Advocacy

Rockland County schools are set to receive record levels of state aid in the Governor's proposed budget, thanks partly to the Rockefeller Institute's groundbreaking report on education funding disparities. While the Institute held five public hearings across New York State, the Hudson Valley was notably excluded. In response, Senator Bill Weber hosted his own bipartisan public forum on July 29, 2024, ensuring that the concerns of Rockland County educators and administrators were heard.

The testimony from Senator Weber's school aid forum was submitted to the Rockefeller Institute and incorporated into their final report, underscoring the urgent need for increased state funding for Rockland County schools. As a result, the Governor's proposed executive budget includes the following total base school aid allocations for the 2025/2026 school year:

East Ramapo School District: $115.6 million

North Rockland School District: $100.5 million

Clarkstown School District: $51.1 million

Suffern Central School District: $27.2 million

Nyack School District: $16.4 million

Nanuet School District: $16 million

South Orangetown School District: $12.2 million

Pearl River School District: $12.1 million

"I'm grateful to the Rockefeller Institute for acknowledging and addressing this long-standing funding imbalance," said Senator Bill Weber. "For years, Rockland County schools have been shortchanged due to an outdated funding formula. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure these crucial funding allocations are adopted in the final New York State budget for 2025-2026."