Yonkers Insider: Statement from New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh.

 

Friends,

Back to School season is upon us. While parents silently rejoice and kids grouse at the thought of school resuming this Fall, I'm hard at work ensuring that all stakeholders in Education have the resources to ensure success in the upcoming academic year. Whether you're a four year-old entering Pre-K like my grandson Matthew, a rising High School Senior looking at colleges and technical programs, or an adult exploring opportunities to further your career, I've been on the forefront of advocating to expand educational opportunity for our Yonkers residents and all New Yorkers. This week, I was invited as an Expert Panelist at the State of Education Summit hosted by City and State New York. At this event, I was joined by New York City Department of Education Chancellor David Banks, New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Lester Young, SUNY Commissioner and President Betty Rosa, Senate Education Chair Senator Shelley Mayer, State Assembly Chair on People with Disabilities Tom Abinanti and other leaders in education statewide to discuss the remarkable progress we've made in a few short years. In the State Legislature, we've provided record funding for Pre-K-12 education in Yonkers with a $64 million increase since Fiscal Year 2018, a nearly 22% increase from where we were before I took office. In doing so, we have nearly closed the chronic funding gap impeding districts like Yonkers due to the antiquated Foundation Aid formula. I've also allocated funding to renovate our schools aging facilities, such as the newly completed Lincoln High School Auditorium, which will create more opportunities for our children to engage and explore in new ways. For Higher-Education, we've expanded the Excelsior Scholarship which allows students from middle-class families to attend SUNY or CUNY colleges tuition-free. We've also expanded TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) scholarship eligibility for part-time students and expanded on-campus childcare facilities, which will open doors for more working-class New Yorkers to attend. We've accomplished all of this while freezing tuition for all students statewide for the fourth consecutive year. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Students with Special Needs and an Educator with decades of experience, I deeply understand the importance of providing robust educational opportunities for all New Yorkers, especially for those with disabilities. In the Assembly, I'll always fight to ensure that New York State remains a beacon of educational opportunity.

Nader J. Sayegh NYS Assemblyman 90th District-Yonkers