Education & Human Services News March 25, 2019

Budget Update

The Senate and the Assembly released their one-house budget proposals two weeks ago, outlining their respective priorities for the 2019-20 budget.

Highlights of interest in the Senate one-house budget and resolution include:

  • Lower Ed:
  • Increases School Aid by $1.62 billion or 6.0% over the 2018-2019 school year.
  • Increases Foundation Aid by $1.2 billion or 6.8%.
  • Accepts the proposal to extend mayoral control and accountability of New York City schools for three years, pending a Senate hearing to contemplate and recommend reforms to enhance transparency and parental/community input in New York City school governance.
  • Higher Ed
  • Reforms the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) by increasing the minimum and maximum TAP awards, and by expanding eligibility by raising the TAP income threshold so more New York families can benefit.
  • Human Services
  • Provides $3.8 million to restore the Human Services COLA in the last quarter of State Fiscal Year 2019-20.
  • Provides $20 million in additional funding for child care subsidies.
  • Provides $10 million for grants to local Social Services Districts for planning and establishment of Family Support Centers for youth at risk of being, alleged to be, or adjudicated to be juvenile delinquents or persons in need of supervision and their families.

Highlights of the Assembly one-house budget include:

  • Lower Ed
  • Increases School Aid by $1.6 billion or 6.3% over the 2018-19 school year.
  • Increases Foundation Aid by $1.16 billion.
  • Extends mayoral control of the New York City School District for three years until June 30, 2022.
  • Higher Ed
  • Includes $2 million in additional supports for students with disabilities, increases funding to the part time scholarship by $2 million, provides $15 million in funding to students for non-tuition expenses through the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, and restores funding for the STEM scholarship for non-public colleges.
  • Fully funds the Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act.
  • Human Services
  • Provides $141.1 million to restore the Human Services COLA.
  • Includes a 2% increase for salaries of direct support professionals and clinical staff employed by OMH, OASAS, and OPWDD, resulting in an additional $57.4 million for staff wages.
  • Requires the State to fully fund the implementation of Raise the Age for all local social services districts, and establish caseload standards for child protective services workers.
  • Includes $25 million to support a minimum wage increase for health and human service workers contracted with the state.

Table Targets Announced

 In addition, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced a consensus on table targets for the individual budget conference committees. The table target amounts for individual committees include the following:

  • $20 million   Mental Hygiene
  • $50 million   Education
  • $10 million   General Government
  • $10 million   Economic Development
  • $30 million   Health
  • $5 million      Transportation
  • $55 million   Higher Education
  • $50 million   Human Services
  • $15 million   Public Protection
  • $10 million   Environmental, Housing & Agriculture
  • $20 million   General Conference
  • $275 million Total

Next Steps

 Final negotiations are underway between the Senate, Assembly, and the Governor. The 2019-20 fiscal year starts on April 1, 2019.

Headlines

  • Governor Launches School Funding Transparency Website

    Governor Cuomo announced the launch of a school funding transparency website. The new site offers the ability to view and download data at the school district level and the school building level. According to the press release, the initial launch includes data from the 76 school districts required to submit school-level funding data for the 2018-19 school year. An additional 230 school districts will be added in the second year and, beginning in 2020, all 674 school districts receiving Foundation Aid will be required to submit data that will be reflected on the website.

    Senate Announces Public Hearing to Review Oversight of For-Profit Schools

     The Senate Standing Committee on Higher Education announced it will hold a public hearing on April 10, 2019, at 10:00 AM in Albany to “explore ways to review oversight over for-profit schools in order to better inform students, parents and consumers about for-profit education schools.”

    SED Releases Guidance and Resources for School Districts to Support Social Emotional Learning

     The State Education Department announced new guidance and resources to help school districts implement policies and programs that promote Social Emotional Learning (SEL). These tools facilitate systemic whole school implementation and include district-developed resources aligning SEL competencies, academic standards, classroom activities, and teaching practices. According to the press release, SED is planning a series of regional professional learning sessions this summer, which will give educators opportunities to not only learn more but interact with peers in their region to discuss ideas, current work, and plans, and to develop inter-district relationships that can help support effective implementation.

New York State Register

Employee Scheduling (Call-in-Pay)

The Department of Labor issued a notice of expiration for proposed regulations to reform on-call scheduling. Due to this notice, regulations cannot be reconsidered unless the Department of Labor publishes a new notice of proposed rulemaking.

Legislative Spotlight

School Zone Speed Camera Bills

Last week, the Senate and the Assembly passed legislation (S.4331/A.6449) that would expand the use of speed cameras to 750 school zones in New York City. The cameras would operate Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and the City would be required to install signs giving notice that a speed camera is in use. This legislation builds upon a law passed in 2013, which created a demonstration program and allowed New York City to set up cameras in 20 school zones. The demonstration program lapsed last year.

In addition, both houses passed legislation (S.231/A.951) that would create a demonstration speed camera program for the City of Buffalo. Like the original New York City program, the City of Buffalo would be authorized to operate cameras in 20 school zones and to use images from the speed cameras to impose liability on the owner of the speeding vehicle, supplementing police efforts.

Kinship

 Both houses passed a bill (S.2714/A.569) to clarify that local social service districts must inform both relative and non-relative kinship caregivers about services including, but not limited to, information relating to child only grants, how to become a kinship foster parent, how to contact kinship programs, and any other resources funded through or operating in the local district.

Medical Decisions for Minors

 Both houses passed a bill (A.1239/S.3248) to expand the law governing medical decisions for minors to include non-parental caregivers who have lawful orders of custody. Specifically, this bill allows non-parental caregivers who have lawful orders of custody to make medical decisions for minors in their care, and includes them in the group of individuals whose consent is not needed for the provision of medical, dental, health, and hospital services when, in the judgement of a physician, emergency medical care is needed.

Maternal Mortality Review Board

Last week, the Senate and Assembly passed a bill (A.3276/ S.1819) that would establish a Maternal Mortality Review Board to examine maternal mortality in New York and develop strategies to improve health outcomes for pregnant women and new mothers. According to the sponsor’s memo, New York currently ranks 30th out of 50 states in its maternal death rate.

Funding Opportunities

New York State Religious and Independent Schools, Professional Development Resource Centers

State Education Department (SED)

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) State Office of Religious and Independent Schools is seeking proposals to establish three (3) regional Professional Development Resource Centers. The regional Professional Development Resource Centers (PDRC) will work in collaboration with the Education Department to provide professional development to religious and independent school teachers and leaders. Bidders may include Local Education Agencies, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), public or private Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), not-for-profit and for-profit organizations or agencies.

Due April 26, 2019

Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)

State Education Department (SED)

The primary objective of the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) is to provide a broad range of services to New York State residents who, because of educational and economic circumstances, would otherwise be unable to attend a postsecondary educational institution. Each HEOP institution must ensure that HEOP students are provided with sufficient academic support services, tuition assistance, supplemental financial assistance, and full need packaging to enable them to successfully complete the institutional components required for graduation. The Notice of Intent (NOI) is not a requirement for submitting a complete application by the application date; however, NYSED strongly encourages all prospective applicants to submit an NOI to ensure a timely and thorough review and rating process. A non-profit applicant’s NOI will also help to facilitate timely review of its prequalification materials.

Due April 19, 2019

2019-2026 NYS Pathways in Technology Early College High School (NYS P-TECH) Program

State Education Department (SED)

The New York State Pathways in Technology Early College High School (NYS P-TECH) Program will prepare thousands of New York students for high-skills jobs of the future in technology, manufacturing, healthcare and finance. The model incorporates a six-year program that combines high school, college, and career training and will be targeted to academically and economically at-risk students. The project seeks to fund regional partnerships that respond to the greatest need for enhanced access to post-secondary opportunity for students and the potential to build a local talent pipeline for industries with a favorable job outlook. Each partnership will include K-12, higher education, and business/employer partners. A New York State public school district or a BOCES must serve as the fiscal agent/applicant for each application.

Due April 10, 2019

Family Support Services

Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)

Various Developmental Disabilities Regional Offices are pleased to announce the availability of funding to provide supports and services to families that care for a family member with a developmental disability living at home. The goal of family support services is to assist families to remain intact for as long as they desire and avoid unnecessary out of home placement.

Central New York– Due April 26, 2019

Broome– April 26, 2019

Center for Advanced Technology Program

Department of Economic Development

To encourage greater collaboration between industry and New York’s research universities, ESD anticipates designating up to two Centers for Advanced Technology (CAT) under this RFP. The CAT Program is designed to spur technology-based applied research and economic growth in New York; encourage applied research collaboration and innovation with industry; promote workforce development; better leverage State funds with investments from the Federal government, industry, foundations, and not-for-profit economic development organizations; and increase the competitiveness of New York State Companies over the Center’s ten year designation period.

Due March 29, 2019

Coming Up

The NYS Board of Regents will meet on April 8-9, 2019.

The State Education Department announced the following State Board Meetings: