Trump’s Education Priorities, Foundation Aid, and Mayoral Control: 2024 in Review

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This is my first year as a reporter working the education beat. I’ve learned a lot in the last nine months — not least of which is how incredibly complex and multifaceted the education system is in both New York state and across the country.

Education funding makes up about a third of the overall state budget. We also spend, on average, more per pupil than any other state. And New York City is the largest school district in the country, with nearly one million students. The state also has a large population of students who need special services, like those who have disabilities or those who are English Language Learners.

There’s a lot going on and a lot to cover. Here are some of the most important education stories in New York this year and what to keep an eye on next year:

New York Fully Funded Foundation Aid

Since 2007, New York state has used a complicated formula, called Foundation Aid, to distribute state funding to public schools. For the first two years of its use, the state met its Foundation Aid obligations. But economic downturns like the Great Recession and Covid-19 led to cuts in education funding.

During this year’s budget cycle, Gov. Kathy Hochul attempted to cut the formula’s Save Harmless provision, which ensures that no district receives less funding than it did the year prior. Ultimately, the legislature rejected her proposal and instead increased education funding to nearly $30 billion, fully funding Foundation Aid for the first time. Hochul recently said she no longer supports removing the Save Harmless provision.

School finances are incredibly complex: I’ve heard sources joke that only a handful of people understand state aid. And education funding, which makes up about a third of the state budget, is a heated topic during budget negotiations. But it’s crucial to making sure schools across New York receive adequate funding to provide students equitable access to education.

The Rockefeller Institute Released its Foundation Aid Report

Education policy advocates all seem to agree that the Foundation Aid formula is outdated. However, there are a number of ideas as to how to improve it. Also, as part of the state budget, Hochul and the legislature allocated $2 million for the Rockefeller Institute to assess the current Foundation Aid formula. The think tank’s314-page report, published in early December, evaluates each piece of the formula independently and suggests recommendations for how to improve it.

Many education policy advocates are in favor of developing an entirely new formula, but that would likely take years. In the short-term, we’ll watch to see what — if any — changes Hochul and the legislature implement during next year’s budget negotiations.

Mayoral Control

Beginning with former mayor Michael Bloomberg, the New York City mayor has retained control of the city’s school system since 2002. Previously, New York City schools were governed by a decentralized system run by local school boards.

The legislature must periodically decide whether to extend the mayor’s oversight of the school system and the Panel of Educational Policy, which effectively serves as the city’s school board.

This year, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams both pushed to extend mayoral control for another four years; the legislature settled on two.

I find this interesting because it’s a relatively unusual model of governance — only a few cities across the country function this way. In New York, it’s anybody’s guess as to whether it’s working as it should: The State Education Department had commissioned a report to evaluate the New York City school system before and after the implementation of mayoral control. But the report, released this year, was inconclusive: “There is little evidence that any governance structure has reduced longstanding inequities in educational access and attainment among students.”

David Banks Steps Down as New York City’s Schools Chancellor

David Banks, the former chancellor of the New York City school system, was swept up in the federal probe into Mayor Eric Adams and his administration. In September, federal agents raided the home of Banks and his partner, former Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. Agents also seized devices from Banks’ brother, Phil Banks, and searched the home of another brother, Terence Banks.

David Banks announced later that month that he would be retiring at the end of the year from his job overseeing the nation’s largest school system. A week later, he announced that he would resign immediately, noting that Adams had “decided to accelerate that timeline.” Melissa Aviles-Ramos, who previously served as Banks’ chief of staff, took over the post.

This was a surprising news story, especially for a district with nearly a million kids, including large populations of students who are English Language Learners, have special needs, or live in temporary housing.

Aviles-Ramos, who will now oversee big changes within the city school system — including an overhaul of the literacy program, as well as efforts to cap class sizes — told Chalkbeat she shares the vision of the Adams administration: “My North Star is their North Star, but have to make sure that I keep the train moving.

Donald Trump’s Re-Election Could Mean Changes for Schools

Donald Trump won his second term as president, which will almost certainly impact the education sector.

Among his campaign promises: to eliminate the federal Department of Education in order to transition control over education back to the state level. But this won’t be an easy task. It would take an act of Congress to close the department, and the agency is federally mandated to administer funding to low-income schools and students with disabilities.