Conte On Additional State Aid to Local Schools

This year, I helped pass the state budget two days before the April 1 deadline, the first time in nearly 30 years that New York’s spending plan was passed early. Not only was the budget done early, it was done right.

 The 2012-13 state budget is a financial blueprint to improve the quality of life for all Long Island families. It reduces spending by $127 million, does not ask Long Islanders to hand over more of their hard-earned dollars in new or higher taxes and sends more money back to our communities through increased school aid. This school aid will go a long way toward enhancing the quality of our children’s education as well as helping to keep property taxes down.

 Under the budget, Huntington Schools received over $6.1 million in increased state education aid with the school districts of Northport receiving a 7.90 percent increase; Half Hollow Hills a 4.01 percent increase; Harborfields a 10.08 percent increase; Commack a 6.51 percent increase; Elwood a 6.89 percent increase; Cold Spring Harbor a 6.30 percent increase and Huntington a 9.56 percent increase.

 In addition to increasing aid to local school districts, the budget also increases aid to community colleges by 6 percent and provides $500,000 in new funding for the creation of the Stony Brook Center of Excellence in Advanced Energy Research.

 By making responsible investments in Long Island’s schools, colleges and for economic development, this year’s budget will help prepare our children for the challenges of today’s economy, and create employment opportunities for Long Islanders while laying the foundation for an innovative hi-tech economy.

 Jim Conte
Member of the Assembly
10^th District (Huntington Station)