By Tom Momberg
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced early this week he has allocated an additional $33.6 million in his FY2016 executive budget to raise the operating budgets of 130 of the city’s lowest-performing schools.
The de Blasio administration estimated that those schools, which include Long Island City, Flushing, Martin Van Buren, August Martin and Richmond Hill High Schools in Queens, will see an average budget increase of $250,000 for the next school year.
The mayor’s administration also plans to invest another $59.7 million in those 130 schools for every year thereafter.
“These new investments will make a real difference: more AP classes, more guidance counselors, extra tutors and schools open longer. We have a plan for these schools’ success and we’re going to make sure they have the tools to turn around and raise student achievement,” de Blasio said in a statement.
De Blasio came out with his School Renewal Program in 2014, which identified 94 schools as “Renewal Schools” and set aside $150 million to lengthen school days, provide additional training for faculty and staff, and provide additional services to children and their families.
Now, the mayor plans to expand on that initiative in response to criticism from the state.
In a sneak peak into next year’s executive budget, City Hall revealed that the extra $33.6 million would provide additional resources to support Renewal Schools and Community Schools, as well as the schools that the state deemed as “persistently failing” when Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled his education reforms.
“I am glad Mayor de Blasio is doing his best to see that we do right by our children and get them the educational resources they need to succeed, especially when the state still owes our schools billions. Every child in New York City deserves access to a quality education and I applaud the mayor for making that goal a priority,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) said in a statement.
As a part of the new initiative, the city plans to rename all of the designated Renewal Schools as Community Schools to incorporate and encourage local collaborations, build community partnerships and to be able to offer more resources to students.
