Legislators listen and learn in Valley Stream

Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Assemblyman Brian Curran and Sen. Dean Skelos chief of staff Tom LoCascio were on the dais last Saturday.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

Boy Scout Troop 116 led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

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Legislative Breakfast

Charter school funding draws ire

Valley Stream school officials made their case for more state aid, an end to unfunded mandates and a slow down of the Common Core curriculum roll-out during the annual Legislative Breakfast last Saturday morning at Memorial Junior High School.

Legislators in attendance at the event, hosted by the Valley Stream Council of PTAs, included Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Assemblyman Brian Curran, County Legislator Carrié Solages and Town Councilman Jim Darcy. Missing the event for the first time in more than 15 years was state Sen. Dean Skelos, who was represented by his chief of staff, Tom LoCascio.

Breakfast was served by students from Central High School’s culinary institute, with the Breakfast Club string group of North High School providing music.

One of the biggest concerns for school officials was the continued use of the Gap Elimination Adjustment in the state aid formula. The GEA was implemented in 2009 to help the state close its $10 billion budget deficit. Once all aid is tallied for a district, a percentage of it is then taken away.

Central High School District Superintendent Dr. Bill Heidenreich said the GEA has cost Valley Stream’s four districts about $20 million over the last three years. He called on legislators to eliminate this adjustment and restore state aid to 2008-09 levels, the year before it began to decline.

“Without question,” he said, “today’s students, who must meet higher standards than students who attended our schools just a few years ago, are being asked to do more with fewer resources.”

Elise Antonelli, the high school Board of Education president, agreed. She said the state is no longer running a deficit, making the GEA unnecessary. “Now that there is a surplus,” she said, “there is no need to further reduce aid to schools.”

LoCascio said that the budget proposed by the state Senate would reduce the GEA by $541 million, meaning that money would flow back to the schools. The state budget is expected to be adopted by April 1.