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New York state lawmakers have passed an eighth budget extender to ensure the state can continue paying its bills. This latest extender, approved on Thursday (April 24), will last until Tuesday (April 29), marking over $11 billion in emergency spending since the original budget deadline of April 1. The delay in finalizing the budget is causing significant concern for school districts, which rely on state aid to plan their fiscal budgets. With statewide school budget voting scheduled for May 20, districts are uncertain about the amount of aid they will receive.
According to NEWS10 ABC, Assemblymember Josh Jensen emphasized the importance of the extender to keep state operations running. Meanwhile, David Albert from the New York State School Boards Association highlighted the challenges faced by school districts due to the lack of finalized budget figures.
Governor Kathy Hochul's proposal to increase penalties for crimes committed while wearing a mask is one of the issues delaying the budget. State Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Liz Krueger suggested using the governor’s executive budget proposal as a conservative estimate for school aid. Governor Hochul proposed an $825 million increase in school aid, which some legislators argue is insufficient given rising costs.
Newsday reported that legislators hope to reach a budget agreement soon, with voting on budget bills expected next week. The ongoing delays have put pressure on state leaders to finalize the budget, as noted by several lawmakers.