Advocacy Committee Discusses State Funding, School Safety and Pre-K at Legislative Lobby Day

Mar 19, 2024 | Bell Top, Columbia, District, Genet, Goff, Green Meadow, Pre-K, Red Mill, Sutherland

Members of the East Greenbush Central School District's Advocacy Committee meeting with Assemblyman John McDonald in the NYS Assembly chamber as part of Legislative Lobby Day on March 8.

Members of the East Greenbush Central School District’s Advocacy Committee meeting with Assemblyman John McDonald in the NYS Assembly chamber as part of Legislative Lobby Day on March 8 (photo courtesy NYS Assembly).

Members from the East Greenbush Central School District’s Advocacy Committee, including teachers, staff, students and parents, visited with state legislators on March 8 in Albany as part of Legislative Lobby Day.

The annual event is an opportunity for the school district to discuss important education topics with individuals who work on the state budget and who represent residents of the East Greenbush CSD in the state legislature.

“Members of our community including our high school students were very effective in their advocacy for the funding and policy issues we need addressed by the legislature to continue to sustain high quality educational opportunities for students,” said Superintendent Jeff Simons, who chairs the Advocacy Committee and organized the trip to Albany. “Assemblyman Bendett, Assemblyman McDonald and Senator Ashby were generous with their time, listened to our concerns and indicated support for our efforts. We are fortunate to be represented by advocates for public schools.”

Some of the key issues that the Advocacy Committee discussed, included:

  • Fund the state Foundation Aid appropriately to ensure schools can continue to provide high quality academic, extra-curricular and social emotional/mental health supports for all students
  • Adjust the NYS Universal Pre-K Funding to ensure schools can maintain and support high quality Pre-K programs for all eligible children in their respective communities
  • Provide additional funding to ensure school districts can offer free breakfast and lunch
    programs for all students
  • Provide dedicated state funding for school safety. These funds should support capital projects aimed at securing school buildings, hiring security personnel including School Resource Officers and mental health professionals, and providing comprehensive safety training for school staff.
  • Extend Retiree Earning Limit Exemptions to enable schools to hire well qualified retirees to fill roles for which shortages of qualified applicants exist

“Meeting these people and having my ideas listened to was a truly revolutionary experience in what I see myself doing in the future,” said Columbia senior Rachel Clarke ’24, who has interest in working in politics for a career. “I am very glad that I got to go.”