Mayor Mike Spano, pictured above at School 17 in Yonkers, will be asking Albany for more State Education Funding
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano announced today he will take several trips to Albany in March to advocate for more state funding. This week, the Mayor will meet with state representatives to lobby for more money to be earmarked for Yonkers Public Schools.
“We’ve come to the limit of what our City and our residents can afford,” said Mayor Spano. “Now, we are faced with a situation where the money is running out. I don’t want our taxpayers to shoulder the entire burden for this. We are respectfully requesting New York State help fill the void left behind by the elimination of aid from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Local government cannot fill these inadequacies, and as a result, we will have many difficult decisions to make.”
Mayor Spano says the City of Yonkers’ growing population over the last 10 years has meant the need for more equitable and inclusive funding to support new families. He says jobs were put in place to navigate student learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result, there has been a staggering increase in services including mental health and transportation. Mayor Spano also says there has been a 14% increase in special education enrollment over the last two years. However, much of that federal funding to support these services has dried up and the State could help supplement it.
Mayor Spano is encouraging parents, teachers, PTA members, and Labor Unions to focus their attention on rallying for the necessary funding.
“I know together we are Yonkers Strong,” said Mayor Spano. “The clock is ticking. Yonkers isn’t alone here, all Big 5 Cities are feeling the pinch, especially in urban centers. Let us all rally behind our State Representatives to get Yonkers the support it needs.”
The New York State budget must be approved by April 1. Mayor Spano will present his Executive Budget to the Yonkers City Council by April 15.
