Elementary school districts receive special aid

Valley Stream’s three elementary school districts learned last week that they will each receive additional funds beyond what they were allotted in state grants earlier this year, according to the office of Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages.

The money comes in the form of “bullet aid grants,” which supplement foundation aid for school districts that have special needs “whose particular circumstances are not covered by the complexities of the state aid formula,” according to Solages’ office.

Through the grants, District 24 would receive $130,000, District 30 would receive $100,000 and District 13 would receive $90,000.

District 24 was the only district in Valley Stream that included staff and program cuts in its 2015-2016 budget. The cuts came after the district received less state aid than it had hoped for. Solages said that she was pleased about the significant amount, and thanked parents who she said had contacted her office to push for some response to the cuts.

The additional money was allocated in the hopes that the district would restore the programs and teaching positions that had been cut, Solages said.

“We are very appreciative of the additional aid,” Superintendent Ed Fale said. “As we move through the summer months, we will evaluate our enrollment growth and class size and make determinations at the August board meeting.”