Schumer: New Amendment On Senate Floor This Week will Deprive NYC Schools Of A Devastating $170 Million Dollars By Shifting A Third Of Federal Ed Dollars From NY To States In South & West At A Time When NYC Can Least Afford It; Senator Vows To Fight Tooth & Nail Against Plan To Gut NYC Funding; Vote Count Is Now Neck & Neck

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer will launch a major push to block any Senate amendment that drastically cuts funding for New York City Schools in the Every Child Achieves Act, which the Senate is considering on the floor this week. Schumer will explain how the amendment to gut NYC school funding is now neck and neck in terms of vote support and also how it would radically change the current formula used to allocate Title I education funds to K-12 schools. These funds are the largest source of federal funding for elementary and secondary education and are key to every state's ability to improve educational opportunities, particularly for children in New York City. Without these funds, Schumer will say New York City school districts would be financially overwhelmed this upcoming school year and unable to provide critical services to students who most need them. Schumer will also detail how much each NYC school stands to lose, which in total equates to a devastating $170 million dollars.

"As a proud product of the New York public school system, I know how great our state's schools can be when given the tools, resources and funding to succeed, so I am dead set against any proposed amendment to abruptly slash funding from New York's public schools, including those in New York City. This amendment would take a hatchet to crucial federal funding, which means New York City schools could lose out on tens of millions and for New York as a whole, that number hits $300 million. This would be a devastating cut that would punish millions of students and teachers across the state, so I will urge my colleagues not to support it and will do all I can to beat it back," said Schumer. "We can't afford to pull the rug out from under our school districts over summer vacation. So I will fight this, and any amendment, tooth and nail to make sure there are no federal education cuts made on the backs of hard-working New York State students, teachers and families."

Schumer explained that the Senate is currently set to consider the Every Child Achieves Act on the floor this week, which would reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, the ESEA was considered at the time the most far-reaching federal overhaul of the national education system. Its purpose was to provide quality education to students of all income levels by providing grants and federal resources to schools across the nation, particularly to districts serving low-income students. Since its enactment, the ESEA has been reauthorized every several years, with substantial changes being made as federal education policy has changed. The most recent, notable change was made in 2001 when the law was reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In April 2015, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee unanimously passed a bipartisan rewrite of the ESEA called the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015. This legislation was meant to address many of the shortcomings of NCLB. This bill is set to be considered on the floor of the Senate this week.

Schumer said one of the amendments--which the cote count is neck and neck--set to be considered could have a devastating effect on the New York public education system and leave millions of students and teachers without the critical resources they need to succeed. Schumer said this particular amendment, sponsored by Senator Richard Burr [R-NC], would change the formula currently used to determine funding allocations for state and local education agencies.

Specifically, this amendment would radically change the formula that is used by the federal Department of Education to allocate Title I funding to K-12 schools. Schumer explained that, incorporated into the ESEA are several key provisions that cover a wide spectrum of federal education policy, including a critical provision called Title I. The Title I program allows the federal Department of Education to distribute federal funds to school districts and local education agencies (LEA) that serve a high number or percentage of low-income students. Schumer said that the Title I program provides this vital funding to New York City school districts, including urban districts where poverty is typically concentrated as well as middle-class rural and suburban districts that also serve low-income students..

Schumer said these Title I funds are the largest source of federal funding for elementary and secondary education, and are key to every state's ability to improve educational opportunities. These funds are particularly important for children across New York State, where approximately 687 school districts receive more than $1 billion.

In New York City alone, the 5 boroughs receive more than $703 million in Title I funding. Without these funds, Schumer said New York school districts would be financially overwhelmed and unable to provide critical services to students who most need them. Schumer said if this program funding is cut under this amendment, it could force school districts across New York State that have long-received Title I funds to lay off teachers, cut supplemental educational programs, or make other dramatic cuts to their services provided to students.

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