Op-ed
Budget Delivers To Queens, NYC Schools
BY SERPHIN MALTESE

I have been a longtime advocate of ensuring that our children receive the best possible education. I firmly believe they are our future and there is no better investment. To do this we need to foster excellence in our schools, inspire and challenge our students and give parents the assistance they need to make the best possible education choices for their children.

I am a proud product of the New York City public school system having attended P.S. 63, J.H.S. 64 and Stuyvesant H.S. For me, the education of our youth as a top priority is not a recent commitment. In addition to my legislative and civic activities, I have served on the Stuyvesant H.S. Alumni Executive Board for more than 15 years and have served as chairman of the Board of Trustees at Christ the King H.S. for more than 25 years. Among the more than 100 community and educational awards I have received, I take great pride in being awarded the prestigious President's Medal from both LaGuardia Community College and St. John's University

My constituents know I will continue to fight for our children, our schools and our communities.

The issue of education funding has been at the forefront for the last several months and I want to take this opportunity to announce that the budget just passed by the state legislature represents a tremendous victory for the schools, students, teachers and families of New York City. It includes significant increases in funding to improve New York City schools and ensure that our students receive a sound basic education in state-of-the-art schools.This budget delivers for our city's students. We in the state legislature have provided a $1.1 billion school year increase in school aid. This represents the largest dollar school aid increase ever in the history of the state of New York. It invests more money in classrooms, and helps build more classrooms.

In addition, as New York City's legislators, we have been successful this year in securing $11.2 billion for the New York City school construction program that exceeds the amounts proposed in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) court decisions and is the largest capitol financing amount in the history of New York City and New York state.

We have fought for and obtained new funding this year in the amount of $1.8 billion that will pay for the first year of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's multi-year school construction plan, including the 21 school projects currently on hold. Mayor Bloomberg and my New York City Senate Majority colleagues share my commitment to students and teachers in New York City, and I thank them for their strong advocacy throughout this budget process.

In addition, we have secured an agreement to include a state commitment to pay the debt service on the $1.8 billion, protecting New York City taxpayers.

The plan would also provide for critically needed school property tax relief for homeowners and increased educational accountability to ensure that dollars flow where they belong-in the classroom, not wasted on administration, bureaucracy and, sometimes, outright fraud.

The school construction funding that we have assisted in securing meets a critical portion of the state's obligation arising from the CFE lawsuit, and when coupled with the additional increases in operating aid, will help ensure that every child in New York City has the opportunity to achieve a world class education from excellent teachers in safe, modern schools.

Some of you may have heard from a group called NY ED-PAC, a branch of a Washington D.C.-based group called the League of Education voters. From the onset, they have been motivated entirely by partisan political gain, as evidenced by targeting 13 Republican state senators. No Democrats nor any Assemblymembers were identified.

The credibility of this group is certainly questionable. They are a Washington D.C.-based group that is masking their true identity, which has been identified to be composed entirely of present and former high level liberal democratic political operatives. Their subterfuge has called into question any possible bona fides and may very well constitute a serious violation of election and campaign finance law.

They have no legitimate connection to Queens County or even New York state, and that, to me, is repugnant. If they are truly, legitimately interested in the education issues in our state, they wouldn't hide behind smoke and mirrors. They are politicizing one of the most important issues facing our state-the education of our children.

Our goal has been to come to a legislative solution that will effectively and equitably continue to increase the level of funding we provide to school districts, especially high needs districts here in Queens County and the city of New York.

This is not the time for politics. It is the time to deliver the results and the funds needed to ensure that every child in New York state has the opportunity to receive a world class education.

I will continue to fight for the best interests of the school children in New York City to ensure that they receive their fair share of state aid. I want to assure you that I will continue to make the education of our children a top priority and give parents and supporters the help they need to meet their educational goals for their children and ascertain that these children achieve their full potential.

State Senator Serphin Maltese (R-C), represents the 15th Senate District. His office is at 71-04 Myrtle Ave., Glendale.