By Bill Parry
State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) is going to bat for his old school. He says New York State owes Long Island City High School almost $7 million and Gianaris is working to make sure his alma mater gets what it is owed as determined by a 2006 Court of Appeals decision in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case.
“Starving our public schools of the resources they need has led us to a crisis,” Gianaris said. “It is unacceptable that this school, which has beaten back attack after attack in recent years, remains nearly $7 million short of what it needs.”
Gianaris has a long history of fighting for LICHS in the face of threatened co-locations and closures. The CFE decision determined that Albany shortchanged schools in New York City by billions of dollars and in so doing failed in its constitutional obligation to provide students with a sound education.
Gianaris noted that his old high school is owed $6,709,960.29 in total, more than all but two schools. That figure that works out to $2,660 per pupil.
“We should be giving our kids every opportunity to succeed, but instead the students at Long Island City High School have been forced to deal with bureaucratic distractions,” Gianaris said. “And now we find out it’s not getting millions of dollars to which it is legally entitled. I will do all I can to make sure this is rectified.”
The senator added that he is also trying to get nearly $1 million owed to PS 111 as well. All figures come from a recent analysis of what specific schools deserve, according to the CFE ruling.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
