What's happening
This bill directs the education department to study and report on regional cost variations in Hudson Valley counties for school aid formulas, including possibly reclassifying Westchester County.
Why it matters
May influence how state aid is distributed to Hudson Valley schools by reassessing regional cost indexes. , potentially leading to changes in funding levels for affected districts, especially if Westchester County is reclassified.
Addresses whether Westchester County’s higher labor and construction costs are more similar to Long Island/NYC than the broader Hudson Valley. , which could justify shifting it into a different cost region for school aid purposes.
Could set a precedent for how other regions are classified for state funding formulas. , impacting not just school aid but possibly other state programs that use cost-of-living adjustments.
Requires a comprehensive review—including labor and construction costs—so any recommended changes will be based on current, localized economic data. , making funding more responsive to actual conditions rather than outdated or imprecise regional groupings.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Study Westchester School Funding
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1047
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Study Westchester School Aid
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Sandy Galef
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5528
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 6, 2019
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to direct the education department to study, review and report on the geographic cost variation of counties in the Hudson Valley labor force region to determine the appropriateness of the region cost index values for purposes of the public school foundation aid formula
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds that the introduction of the regional cost index into the state public school aid formula provided a regional approach to recognizing the difference in labor market costs. In a June 7, 2006 report to the board of regents subcommittee on state aid, state education department staff noted in the combination of the city of New York and Long Island that there was "evidence that these two areas actually function as a single labor market region. With professionals, especially those in the education professions, moving to jobs across the lines between New York city and Long Island, it is necessary to consider this entire region as a single area, with similar wage costs". At this same time, the education department decided to keep the county of Westchester within the Hudson Valley for the regional cost index calculation. In 2016, this state enacted a new law to increase the minimum wage across the state. This legislation included the county of Westchester along with the counties of Nassau and Suffolk, in phasing in such wage increases, setting a new precedent that should be considered by the education department with regard to which labor market the county of Westchester should be included in.
§ 2. The education department shall, in consultation with the department of labor, study and review the geographic cost variations of the counties located in the Hudson Valley labor force region to determine the appropriateness of the regional cost index values used within the public school foundation aid formula, as well as county placement in the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10646-01-9
S. 5528 2
Hudson Valley region. Specifically, the education department shall consider the movement of the county of Westchester currently within the Hudson Valley region into the Long Island/New York city region. Such department shall consult with the department of labor to review labor costs for the Hudson Valley region and the Long Island/New York city region.
The education department shall also review the regional costs associated with construction and study the impact on applying an up to date cost index on public school building aid reimbursement.
§ 3. The education department shall, on or before April 1, 2021, report the findings, conclusions and recommendations of such study to the governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to direct the education department to study, review and report on the geographic cost variation of counties in the Hudson Valley labor force region to determine the appropriateness of the region cost index values for purposes of the public school foundation aid formula
Purpose
The purpose of this legislation is to direct the Education Department to study, review and report on the placement Westchester County in the Hudson Valley region for purposes of public school foundation aid.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Establishes the Legislative Intent.
Section 2. The Education Department shall study and review the geograph- ic cost variations of the counties located in the Hudson Valley labor force region to determine the appropriateness of the regional cost index values used within the public school foundation aid formula, as well as county placement in the Hudson Valley region. Additionally, the Educa- tion Department shall also review the regional costs associated with construction and study the impact on applying an up to date cost index on public school building aid reimbursement.
Section 3. The Education Department shall report the findings, conclu- sions and recommendations to the Governor on or before April 1, 2021.
Section 4. Establishes the effective date.
Justification
The introduction of the regional cost index into the state public school aid formula provided a regional approach to recognizing the difference in labor market costs. In a June 7, 2006 report to the Board of Regents Subcommittee on State Aid, State Education Department staff noted in the combination of the City of New York and Long Island that there was 'evidence that these two areas actually function as a single labor market region. With professionals, especially those in the education professions, moving to jobs across the lines between New York City and Long Island, it is necessary to consider this entire region as a single area, with similar wage costs. " At this same time, the State Education Department decided to keep the county of Westchester within the Hudson Valley for the regional cost index calculation. In 2016, the State enacted a new law to increase the minimum wage across the State.
This legislation includes the county of Westchester along with the coun- ties of Nassau and Suffolk, in phasing in such wage increases, setting a new precedent that should be considered by the Education Department with regard to which labor market the county of Westchester should be included in.
Legislative history
S.6310 -A and A.8863 of 2017-2018
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.