By Nathan Mayberg
ALBANY — April 4, 2006 – Sullivan County schools will receive $4.5 million more in state aid than last year as a result of the New York State Legislature’s budget passed last week.
In addition, $6.7 million in EXCEL grants for capital and technology improvements were approved for the county.
The budget restored cuts by Governor George Pataki while raising the state aid formula by 7 percent. Pataki could still veto the bill, but New York State Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther said such a veto would be overridden. Gunther was among many of the legislators who pushed for the school aid increases.
Gunther said the state aid in the budget “restores the governor’s cuts and increases aid to every school district. Our budget invests in universal pre-K, increases building aid and provides extra aid to alleviate high property taxes. . . . It is a home run for our school districts in many, many ways.”
The aid numbers break down as follows:
Monticello
Total Aid - $22,698,571 for an increase of $1,918,316 (9.23%)
EXCEL Aid - $2,716,766
Universal Pre-K Aid - $110,700
High Tax Aid - $110,151
Liberty
Total Aid - $16,118,166 for an increase of $798,929 (5.22%)
EXCEL Aid - $1,273,167
High Tax Aid - $51,906
Sullivan West
Total Aid - $14,154,245 for an increase of $647,003 (4.79%)
EXCEL Aid - $464,667
High Tax Aid - $44,102
Fallsburg
Total Aid - $12,587,725 for an increase of $1,020,017 (8.82%)
EXCEL Aid - $1,092,620
Universal Pre-K - $85,808
High Tax Aid - $43,026
Tri-Valley
Total Aid - $7,259,642 for an increase of $775,547 (11.96%)
EXCEL Aid - $391,281
High Tax Aid - $37,195
Livingston Manor
Total Aid - $5,322,080 for an increase of $274.237 (5.43%)
EXCEL Aid - $462,262
High Tax Aid - $25,000
Eldred
Total Aid - $3,851,253 for an increase of $112,762 (3.02%)
EXCEL Aid - $1,273,167
High Tax Aid - $25,000
Roscoe
Total Aid - $2,666,538 for an increase of $186,235 (8.95%)
EXCEL Aid - $89,408
High Tax Aid - $25,000