State budget makes no change to foundation school aid; governor signals changes coming in 2026
Gov. Kathy Hochul cited declining enrollment as a reason the change is needed.
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The 2025 state budget agreement abandoned a controversial plan to change school foundation aid, a move that would have seen more than 50 Long Island school districts lose funding.
Instead, the Rockefeller Institute will study the state’s foundation aid formula and make a recommendation.
Gov. Kathy Hochul cited declining enrollment as a reason the change is needed.
“It just doesn’t make sense to keep paying for empty seats in classrooms,” Hochul said.
The governor plans to make changes to foundation aid in the 2026 budget.
Opponents to a controversial faith-based housing plan are breathing a sigh of relief.
Gov. Kathy Hochul's did not mention the proposal Monday night in the governor's budget address.
The proposal would have allowed religious organizations on Long Island to build affordable housing on their properties, bypassing local zoning restrictions.
Officials on both sides of the debate weighed in on the issue.
"It could be a situation where it's a good fit, but to take every location, I believe 1,100 places and override the zoning all at once, that doesn't work," said North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena.
Ian Wilder, from Long Island Housing Services, who was in favor of the plan says," We will keep working for solutions because our fellow residents need housing."
