New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that an additional $1 million in financial aid from the Senate is being appropriated for the Hendrick Hudson School District in the FY2024-2025 State Budget. This funding, the second time the State senate has come through for the Hen Hud schools, will be combined with the school aid, Foundation aid and Universal Pre-Kindergarten funding the district is slated to receive.
Harckham’s announcement was made at Frank G. Lindsey Elementary School, where he received a spirited welcome and a special “thank you” from a group of students, school district leaders and several parents. After a visit to the cafeteria to say hello to the lunch crowd, Harckham enjoyed a special three-song concert from kindergartners in a music class taught by Rebecca Correllus.
The Hendrick Hudson School District lost $8 million of funding in 2021 from the closure of the Indian Point Nuclear Facility in Buchanan, NY, and although the State Legislature and Governor Hochul increased the district aid package considerably in the following year’s budget, an immediate gap remained between anticipated revenue (including state aid) and projected costs. An extra $1 million of State Senate funding delivered in August 2022 helped prevent staff layoffs and classroom overcrowding.
“Our commitment to helping the entire Hendrick Hudson school community from the negative impact caused by the loss of tax revenue remains strong,” said Harckham. “The taxpayers in the school district, especially homeowners and small businesses, are facing challenges through no fault of their own, and this additional funding will help ensure students here receive the educational opportunities that they deserve.”
Harckham added that Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Shelley Mayer, chair of the Senate Education Committee, were instrumental in ensuring that the additional funding for the Hendrick Hudson school district was in the FY2024-2025 State Budget, and said, “Their tireless support for education in New York is unparalleled, and I thank them for focusing on the needs of this particular district.”
“At the end of the day, though, this is about making sure children have properly funded schools,” said Harckham.
With the Indian Point PILOT agreement with the Hendrick Hudson Central School District decreasing over the next number of years, the New York State Department of Education and Office of the Budget have confirmed that state aid to the district will increase nearly four-fold in the coming years.
For FY2024-2025, the Hendrick Hudson district is receiving $16.4 million in school aid (24.7% increase from FY2023-2024), $11.4 million in Foundation Aid (a 26.3% increase) and $1.3 million for universal pre-kindergarten slots (a 4% increase).
