Release of Rockefeller Report on Foundation Aid Backs up NYS Senator Bill Weber's Clarion Call for Action to Aid East Ramapo

The long-awaited Rockefeller report on New York State's Foundation Aid Formula has been released, offering an in-depth look at how the current system impacts school districts, including the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD).  

Many of the issues brought to the fore of the report have been long championed by New York State Senator Bill Weber. The report was ordered by the State subsequent to the passage of the New York State budget in April 2024, which required the Rockefeller Institute to conduct a comprehensive study of the State's outdated Foundation Aid education funding formula affecting school districts throughout New York. The Institute was required to deliver findings and recommendations for improvement by December 1, 2024. The newly released report highlights the state's outdated formula's challenges that disproportionately disadvantaged districts with unique demographic compositions. 

Since taking office, Senator Weber has been a steadfast advocate for equitable education funding. His goal is to ensure that helping one school district does not come at the expense of another. While he acknowledges some findings and good recommendations in the report with cautious optimism, he remains firm in his commitment to supporting only those measures that benefit every school district in Rockland County. 

"The Rockefeller report underscores what we've been saying for years—East Ramapo and similar districts have been shortchanged by an outdated formula that fails to account for their unique realities," Senator Weber stated. "My team and I will continue to meticulously review this report and ensure that New York State will have to address these inequities and work toward real reform."

One of the key takeaways outlined in the newly released Rockefeller Institute of Government's report concerns the use of public school pupil counts in the Foundation Aid Formula.

"The use of public school pupil counts can overstate local wealth capacity in school districts with relatively high rates of nonpublic school enrollment or relatively fewer students per capita," the 314-page report notes, a point Senator Weber has worked to drive home since first getting involved in the East Ramapo Central School District's (ERCSD) distinctly unique situation nearly two years ago. "School-aged population counts may be a more accurate representation of local fiscal capacity and needs."

The report suggests that replacing public school pupil counts with total school-aged population counts, as estimated by federal SAIPE data, would offer a more accurate picture of local fiscal capacity and student needs. Additionally, the use of three-year averages could add much-needed predictability and stability for districts.

Another critical point highlighted in the report is the inherent unfairness of the formula in its current form, which skews funding toward districts with higher public school enrollment rates, leaving districts like the ERCSD at a severe disadvantage. With a sizable nonpublic school population, ERCSD must educate public school students while also providing mandated services for private school students. 

When it comes to the associated high costs of English Language Learners (ELL) and English as a New Language (ENL), the report concluded that the current formula does not provide high-needs districts, like the ERCSD, with the funding necessary to fully offset the cost disadvantage large numbers of such cases bring to their districts. The report, therefore, concluded that the pupil weights in the current formula should be updated and the cap removed, which would be of tremendous benefit to school districts, including East Ramapo.

From public forums to meetings with legislators and stakeholders, Senator Weber has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure the State's funding mechanism works for all students, regardless of where they live or the type of school they attend.

Senator Weber has been a leader on this issue from the start of his tenure as New York State Senator. He has consistently called out the inequities in the Foundation Aid Formula, pushing for changes to better reflect the realities faced by school districts in his 38th Senate District. The Senator even held his own public forum on the Foundation Aid Formula in July of this year after Albany left Rockland school districts out of the discussion, scheduling only five public hearings, all outside of the Hudson Valley, to gather input for their study. Clearly, the findings from the Senator's public forum were able to make a difference at long last for the ERCSD. 

"Our schools have always deserved a funding formula that is fair and transparent, one that acknowledges the unique challenges districts like East Ramapo face," the Senator explained as his reasoning for spearheading the public forum. 

The Regional Cost Index calculation is particularly harmful to all school districts in the 38th Senate District. "One of the first things I did upon being elected for my first term was reintroduce former Assemblyman (now Congressman) Mike Lawler’s bill to fix the regional cost index in the Hudson Valley. In the past, the majorities in both chambers have done nothing to help further this bill. After the release of this report, it is clear they must join me in righting this wrong."

As Senator Weber and his team dive into the findings, the hope is that the State will take prompt action to admit to and address the disparities highlighted in the report.

In the meantime, Senator Weber promises that his office will continue to work tirelessly to represent the voices of local school officials, parents, students, and advocates.

"We hope this is the first step toward getting the education aid right for all of our school districts in the 38th Senate District," he said. "Some findings in this report are a significant milestone and provide a roadmap at last, but the real work lies ahead in implementing meaningful reforms."

Senator Weber emphasized that his commitment to equitable funding goes beyond the ERCSD.

"This is about ensuring every child, in every district throughout Rockland County, has the resources they need to succeed," he added.

With leaders like Senator Weber at the helm, the path to fairer education funding for the ERCSD and other disproportionately disadvantaged districts with unique demographic compositions is finally within reach.

"This isn't just about dollars and cents," Senator Weber concluded. "It's about doing what's right for our children and their future.”