N.Y. Bracing for Fresh K-12 Budget Brawl

As Fiscal Crisis Continues, Governor's Planned Cuts Spark Local Pushback

New York Gov. David Paterson’s proposed five percent cut in state aid to schools—a reduction of $1.1 billion for the 2011 fiscal year—is likely to face sharp resistance, including from leaders in New York City, which stands to lose up to $469 million.

“The proposed reduction in school aid will affect funding for our city’s students at a time when we are still waiting to receive our just due as a result of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit,” said city Comptroller John Liu.

Gov. Paterson, who rolled out his proposed $134 billion statewide budget last week, said the cuts are part of the tough decisions necessary while the state is facing a $7.4 billion deficit. He says reductions to local government aid are less than 0.5 percent of total city revenues, much less than in many other...