Securing Educational Rights and Adequate School Funding Pre-K-12

In New York, the Center for Educational Equity works to uphold all students’ right under the state constitution to a meaningful opportunity to a “sound basic education,” which was secured in the CFE case.  Our goals are (1) to hold the state accountable for adequate and equitable school funding and (2) to ensure every school is equipped with the essential educational resources necessary to meet the needs of its students.

In 2021, the state, under Gov. Kathy Hochul, settled the long-running New Yorkers for Students’ Educational Rights (NYSER) case, the CFE follow-up lawsuit initiated by Michael Rebell representing plaintiff parents, students, and education stakeholder organizations statewide. The state legislature committed to phase in over three years of full funding to the Foundation Aid Formula, adopted in 2007 to implement the CFE decision.

However, there is no plan for sustaining fair and adequate school funding after the three-year phase in. This puts students’ rights in jeopardy.

One of the most important actions state leaders could take to ensure sustained,fair school funding for all New York students is to institute a permanent, independent cost commission. The commission would be responsible for assessing the costs of ensuring all students in the state a sound basic education by using a valid, transparent method for cost analysis, creating a new funding formula, and serving as a watchdog for adequate and equitable funding going forward.

We are currently raising awareness of this need among policymakers and the public, and have begun to develop and promote research-based recommendations.

Join our campaign for a permanent “Commission for Fair Funding” in New York State

Information coming soon.

Other Important Resources

• Essential Resources: The Constitutional Requirements for Providing All Students in New York State the Opportunity for a Sound Basic Education, 2nd edition (2017). Essential Resources, 2nd Edition (3rd edition coming soon)
• Universal Pre-K
  With the Center for Children’s initiatives, we make the case that prekindergarten is part of the sound basic education to which all New York children are entitled. Learn More >>