The Peru Gazette

Today, my office issued a report detailing regional trends in education funding, enrollment, and conditions across the state. The report analyzes school district financial and demographic information from nine separate regions outside of New York City.
Investments in New York’s public schools are vital at both the state and local level. By examining regional comparisons and trends in school district revenues, expenditures and student demographics, we can better inform the decisions of state lawmakers, education stakeholders and taxpayers.
Some of the key findings in our report include:
In 2014-15, total school district revenues were $37.7 billion, which includes federal and state aid, the STAR subsidy and local revenue. Local revenue, overwhelmingly from property taxes, made up more than half of total school revenues (54.5 percent), an increase of 3 percentage points from 2004-05. Over the same period, federal and state aid (including STAR) each declined slightly, by 1.4 and 1.6 percentage points, respectively;
The median per-pupil spending for school districts in 2014-15 was $22,658. The Mid-Hudson Valley had the highest median per-pupil spending rate at $26,636, while Western New York was lowest at $19,776. This measure varied greatly across the state and can be largely attributed to regional cost differences. The report notes that significant variations in per-pupil spending exist within each region; and
The percentage of students eligible for free- or reduced-price lunch was 39 percent in 2014-15, and 17 percent of students were considered to be living in poverty. The regional differences in these measures were significant in the Mohawk Valley with 53 percent of students eligible for free- or reduced-price lunches and 26 percent of students living in poverty. Long Island had the fewest students receiving free- or reduced-price lunches at 26 percent and only 8 percent living in poverty.
You can read the entire report on my website, by visiting: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/…/re…/education/pdf/education.pdf
To view the report’s interactive regional map, you can visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/…/educa…/regionaleducationmap.htm
If you have any questions about the report, please contact my Division of Local Government and School Accountability at 518-474-4037 or via email at: localgov@osc.state.ny.us
I invite you to follow us on Twitter (@NYSComptroller) and Facebook (facebook.com/nyscomptroller).
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