Education groups to announce lawsuit this afternoon
Several major education groups have scheduled a news conference this afternoon to announce a lawsuit against Gov. David Paterson because he is withholding state aid for school districts.
The organizations include New York State United Teachers, the state School Boards Association, the state Council of School Superintendents and the School Administrators Association of New York State.
They claim that Paterson acted illegally and unconstitutionally in withholding funds that the Legislature allocated for school districts.
Paterson announced Sunday that he is holding back a total of $750 million in state aid to schools, local governments and other agencies because the state doesn’t have enough money to pay those bills.
The reduction in school aid for the approximately 700 school districts in New York totals $146 million. The state property-tax relief payments through the STAR program total $436 million.
The Campaign for Fiscal Equity, which successfully sued the state over not providing adequate funding for New York City schoolchildren, strongly supports the plaintiffs’ efforts, said Geri Palast, executive director of the group.
CFE doesn’t believe the governor can unilaterally decide to delay or withhold the money, she said.
“We’re very concerned that the governor’s decision to withhold the education aid ignores a clear constitutional mandate and it will have a profoundly negative impact on this state’s most valuable asset—its children,” Palast said.
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