Assembly Announces SFY 2026-2027 Budget Includes $39 Billion in School Aid

Assembly Announces SFY 2026-2027 Budget Includes $39 Billion in School Aid

Speaker Carl Heastie, Education Committee Chair Michael Benedetto and Children and Families Committee Chair Andrew Hevesi today announced the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2026-2027 Enacted Budget provides $39 billion in school aid, a $1.7 billion increase from School Year (SY) 2025-26, and $27.4 billion for Foundation Aid, a $1 billion increase over SY 2025-26. It also invests $3 billion in childcare subsidies.

"This enacted budget delivers for our schools and ensures that students across the state are equipped with the tools and resources they need for success," said Speaker Heastie. "It also reaffirms the Assembly Majority's commitment to families by making critical investments in childcare and Universal Pre-K. Expanding access to these services affords parents the peace of mind they need that their children are cared for while they are at work."

"As a former educator, I understand the challenges facing classrooms across New York," said Assemblymember Benedetto. "Investing in our schools is an investment in the future of our children, and this budget takes critical steps to address those challenges and ensure all our students have the support they need to dream big and achieve their goals."

"For too long, affordable childcare has been out of reach for so many hardworking New York families," said Assemblymember Hevesi. "The investments this enacted budget makes in afterschool programs, childcare and Universal Pre-K will significantly expand access to the vital resources parents across the state rely on while they work to support their families."

The enacted budget includes $27.4 billion for Foundation Aid, a $1 billion increase over the 2025-26 SY. This Foundation Aid increase includes a new factor to capture students in foster care or experiencing housing instability, as well as an increase to the English Language Learner weight. It also provides a 2 percent minimum year-over-year increase to Foundation Aid.

The enacted budget also includes:

• $26 million for the Yonkers City School District;
• $21.4 million for Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers for SY 2026-27;
• $2.4 million for Buffalo and Rochester City School District Health Services;
• $1.9 million for Nonpublic School Aid, for a total of $242.1 million;
• $1.7 million for the Mind Builders Creative Arts Center;
• $1.5 million for Schools for the Blind and Deaf (4201 schools), for a total of $116.4 million, and $5.4 million in funding for nine individual 4201 schools;
• $1.5 million for the Consortium for Worker Education (CWE), for a total of $13 million, and $250,000 for the CWE Credentialling;
• $1.125 million for Implicit Bias Training; and
• $1.25 for staff to support the needs of students with dyslexia and dysgraphia, for a total of $1.5 million.

The budget extends mayoral control of the New York City School District for an additional two years, until June 30, 2028.

Electric School Buses

The enacted budget extends the zero-emission bus mandates by five years, allowing districts until July 1, 2032, to purchase only zero-emission buses and until July 1, 2040, to operate and maintain only zero-emission buses.

Universal Pre-K

The enacted budget expands Universal Pre-K (UPK) to support full-day instruction for 4-year-old children by fall 2028, as well as consolidating UPK and Statewide Universal Full Day Pre-K into a single program. Additionally, it will provide funding for an increased number of 3-year-old children in prekindergarten in New York City.

Afterschool & Childcare

The enacted budget includes $116 million for after-school programs.

The spending plan also provides $3 billion in childcare subsidies to help New York families. This includes:

• $2.4 billion in base subsidy funding;
• $475 million in additional subsidies for New York City, which must be matched one-for-one with local funds; and
• $155 million in additional subsidies for counties outside of New York City, which would not require any additional local match.

The enacted budget provides $73 million to begin 2-Care in New York City and $66 million for the creation of new childcare pilot programs in Broome, Dutchess and Monroe Counties.

My Brother's Keeper

One decade ago, New York became the first state in the country to fund the My Brother's Keeper initiative. My Brother's Keeper seeks to engage with families and communities to provide professional, developmental and educational opportunities that seek to address issues related to restorative justice and racial disparities in education. The SFY 2026-27 Assembly Budget includes a total of $28 million for My Brother's Keeper.