MEMO IN OPPOSITION

S6377
to Restore the Gap Elimination Adjustment
Do Not Expand Inequity in Education

The Alliance for Quality Education is opposing S6377 a bill to fully restore the Gap Elimination
Adjustment. While the GEA should be fully restored, it should not be fully restored until after the
Foundation Aid funding, committed as part of the Campaign for Equity, is fully funded.
The Foundation Aid Formula was enacted in order to settle the Campaign for Fiscal Equity
lawsuit. However, after being funded for two years, the CFE funding was cut and the
commitment to fully fund CFE has now been delayed for a decade. Initially the GEA made cuts
across the board, but at this point most of the GEA has been restored.
Of the remaining GEA, according to the State Education Department data, only 23% is owed to
high needs school districts. By contrast 77% of the Foundation Aid is due to high need school
districts according to SED data. There is only $440 million in GEA still owed, but there is $4.4
billion in Foundation Aid owed. The GEA should not be restored until the Foundation Aid is
fully funded.
Currently there is an $8,733 gap per pupil in spending between rich and poor districts. Restoring
the GEA before fully funding Foundation Aid will widen this gap. A vote for Senate Bill 6377 is
a vote for greater educational inequality.
Senators who represent high need school districts are voting against their own interests,
especially those representing small cities and rural districts. High Need Small Cities are owed
170 times as much Foundation Aid as GEA and high need rural districts are owed 117 times as
much. The Big 4 are owed 53 times as much Foundation Aid and New York City is owed 22
times as much.
In addition, the Foundation Aid has been owed for a longer period than the GEA. The
Foundation Aid has been owed since 2007, while the GEA did not exist until 2010. And the
Foundation Aid is designed to address the historic inequalities that far predate the 2007
enactment of Foundation Aid.
For Information: Alliance for Quality Education, 94 Central Ave., Albany, NY 12206 518-4325315
Jasmine Gripper, Legislative Director

MEMO IN OPPOSITION
S6377
to Restore the Gap Elimination
Adjustment
Do Not Expand Inequity in Education
The Alliance for Quality Education is opposing S6377 a bill to fully restore the Gap Elimination
Adjustment. While the GEA should be fully restored, it should not be fully restored until after the
Foundation Aid funding, committed as part of the Campaign for Equity, is fully funded.
The Foundation Aid Formula was enacted in order to settle the Campaign for Fiscal Equity
lawsuit. However, after being funded for two years, the CFE funding was cut and the
commitment to fully fund CFE has now been delayed for a decade. Initially the GEA made cuts
across the board, but at this point most of the GEA has been restored.
Of the remaining GEA, according to the State Education Department data, only 23% is owed to
high needs school districts. By contrast 77% of the Foundation Aid is due to high need school
districts according to SED data. There is only $440 million in GEA still owed, but there is $4.4
billion in Foundation Aid owed. The GEA should not be restored until the Foundation Aid is
fully funded.
Currently there is an $8,733 gap per pupil in spending between rich and poor districts. Restoring
the GEA before fully funding Foundation Aid will widen this gap. A vote for Senate Bill 6377 is
a vote for greater educational inequality.
Senators who represent high need school districts are voting against their own interests,
especially those representing small cities and rural districts. High Need Small Cities are owed
170 times as much Foundation Aid as GEA and high need rural districts are owed 117 times as
much. The Big 4 are owed 53 times as much Foundation Aid and New York City is owed 22
times as much.
In addition, the Foundation Aid has been owed for a longer period than the GEA. The
Foundation Aid has been owed since 2007, while the GEA did not exist until 2010. And the
Foundation Aid is designed to address the historic inequalities that far predate the 2007
enactment of Foundation Aid.
For Information: Alliance for Quality Education, 94 Central Ave., Albany, NY 12206 518-4325315
Jasmine Gripper, Legislative Director