New York – Although the New York State Budget for Fiscal Year 2010-11 is not yet finalized, there is one appropriation that has already been confirmed, and it is good news for yeshivos.
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Well, at least better news than had been expected earlier on in the budget process.
The appropriation for the Comprehensive Attendance Program (CAP), which reimburses nonpublic schools for costs they incur in taking multiple attendances each day, keeping records of such attendance taking and following up on student absences and latenesses, is $28.5 million. This appropriation is 5% less than last year’s appropriation of $30 million – which is an equivalent proportion to cuts made in public school funding.
This past April, under the cloud of the state’s budgetary woes, New York Governor David Paterson amended his original budget proposal for CAP of $28.5 million by cutting it in half, to approximately $14 million. This cut would have meant a loss of $4 million in CAP monies for yeshivos, and was totally disproportionate to cuts being made on the public school side.
Upon learning of the proposed 50% cut, Agudath Israel decided to take the case to preserve this crucial reimbursement to state legislators in Albany. In early May, Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, Agudath Israel’s vice president for community affairs, together with Mrs. Deborah Zachai, the organization’s director of education affairs, organized a delegation of some 20 yeshiva representatives and askonim on a mission to Albany, coordinated by Assemblyman Dov Hikind, where they met with Governor David Paterson and key legislators in both the State Assembly and Senate. One of the major items on their agenda was conveying a message to the legislators: if cuts needed to be made in education funding, they should be made equitably, with equal impact on both the public and nonpublic sectors.
And so, while the bottom line result of a $28.5 million appropriation for CAP represents a reduction of 5% from last year’s allocation, the cut is relatively minimal and is in line with cuts to public educational services – a major victory when one considers the 50% cut that had been proposed.
Agudath Israel expressed its thanks and appreciation to Governor David Paterson and his staff, and to Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, for their support for this important funding in a difficult financial climate.
Agudath Israel also expressed its thanks to Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, Senators Eric Adams, Ruth Hassell- Thompson, Craig Johnson, Carl Kruger, Kevin Parker, Diane Savino, Eric Schneiderman, Daniel Squadron, Toby Stavisky and Antoine Thompson; and to Assembly members Peter Abbate ,Jim Brennan, Richard Brodsky, William Colton, Steven Cymbrowitz, Rhoda Jacobs, Dov Hikind, Michael Cusick, Charles Lavine, Alan Maisel, Audrey Pheffer, Helene Weinstein, David Weprin and Kenneth Zebrowski.
“We haven’t given up on getting the full amount nonpublic schools are entitled to under the CAP reimbursement program, which is approximately $55 million,” said Rabbi Lefkowitz. “But it’s obvious that full reimbursement was not in the budgetary cards this year, and we have to be grateful that we were able to avoid even deeper cuts.”
This money is the lifeblood of our yeshivos. Great job by the Agudah to save our cap funding. Before all of the naysayers ruin this good news, CAP is something all schools in NYS are required to do. Otherwise know as a state mandate this cut would have hit our yeshivos far harder than their public school counterparts . Its a big win. Agudah keep up your great work it is appreciated by this tuition paying parent.
Good work Agudah.
kudo to DOV HIKIND for his help in getting this funding into the budget. also thanks to agudah yisroel, they are truly great advocates for our community. keep up the great work.
great news in an otherwise miserable Albany outlook. Thank you Aguda and thank you Dov for your dedicated work. the community really does appreciate the effort. Its hard to argue with results.
thank you to Gov Paterson for listening to reason. A very effective job by aguda and Hikind. thank you!
It is a real pity that so much of the good work that Agudath Israel does goes unappreciated. Agudah works with true mesiras nefesh and dedication for the entire frum spectrum. Thank you
Can someone explain to me why it costs so much to take attendance?
If this were really “reimbursement”, then the State could drop the requirement and the payment, and no one would complain.
Of course, it isn’t, it’s a back door payment scheme to get around the New York State Constitution.
Thanks for the devoted asaen leshem shamayim R’ Yhosia Ostricher shlita with out his dedicated work this bill would never been approved
obviously “Reb duvid” wasnt involved, otherwise we would have heard about it thru a press release. But his name is noticebly absent…..
Pity. State money should never EVER go to promoting religion or teaching religious doctrine.
It’s time that we stop being such pigs while everyonelse is tightining their belts their is no reason why us yidden have to make a chilul hashem and yell at albany every time they cut our yeshiva fundings. if this happened to some black muslim school and they got 28.5 mill in times of recession we would all scream at them why are we different? yes everyone including me will tighten our belts pay a little more tuiton (maybe schools can cut spending also such as less fancier updated buildings) . The other alternative is to let ny state go bankrupt and then we will all get nothing
Thank you Agudah for all that you do.we may not always say thank you but we certainly appreciate it
This money is not just for the Yeshivos but also for the goyische schools. Considering how many private schools there are in NYS $28.5 million does not seem like a lot per school, so little in fact as to hardly make a difference to any particular school.
Why isnt Mrs. Zachai recognized in the group picture above along with those others, half of whom, dont do anything for the clal but just go along for the ride. If she were so instrumental, put her in the picture ahead of those who do absoltuly nothing but want their pictures taken at every photo op