By Kathianne Boniello
Less than a week after the state Legislature approved a budget with record levels of aid for city schools, the state Senate went on the offensive in the school governance debate, proposing legislation Tuesday to change how the city’s public school system is run.
With the most overcrowded classrooms in the city, Queens education advocates are keeping a close eye on school dollars and debates.
The topic of school governance, or how the city’s public school system is structured, has been in the spotlight since Mayor Michael Bloomberg took office last fall. New York City schools currently have an independent schools chancellor, a seven-member board of education, 32 local school districts and school boards and 1.1 million students.
Bloomberg, like many mayors before him, has made school governance and mayoral control of the city’s schools a key issue in his administration, seeking to eliminate both the Board of Ed and local school boards and to have the authority to hire the schools chancellor. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) is said to oppose eliminating either local school boards or the Board of Ed.
The Senate’s legislation, which was praised by Bloomberg, follows most of the provisions of the Senate Majority Task Force on New York City School Governance, chaired by state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose).
Some provisions of the proposed legislation, Padavan said, include a 13-member advisory panel to replace the Board of Ed and a chancellor hired by the mayor, who has the power to hire school superintendents. Local school boards would stay put until public hearings are held or other legislative action is taken to replace or maintain them, Padavan said.
The Legislative budget provides an increase in New York City education aid by $163 million, bringing total education funding statewide to $14.6 billion. New York’s five borough’s will also receive $434 million in prior year’s aid claims.
The budget, which still needs to be signed by Gov. George Pataki, provides $204 million for Universal pre-K programs, $67.4 million for teacher support, $11 million for full-day kindergarten programs, $140 million for class size reduction and $12.8 million for academic support aid for the city. Padavan said.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
