Gov. David Paterson today rejected the Legislature’s compromise proposal on a plan that would grant new powers to New York’s public colleges. Paterson spokesman Morgan Hook said in a statement that “more needs to be done and more details need to provided” before the governor can sign off on the… Read More →
The State University of New York doesn’t have a new chancellor yet, but the 64-campus system now has an officer in charge. SUNY’s Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee voted unanimously today to appoint John O’Connor, vice chancellor and secretary of the university, as officer in charge. O’Connor will act on… Read More →
Gov. David Paterson will deliver what is predicted to be a devastating budget Tuesday, as the state struggles with a deficit of $1.75 billion for this fiscal year (which ends March 31) and more than $13 billion for 2009-10. The state’s fiscal crisis, largely brought on by the crash… Read More →
Lawmakers did not take action last week on a budget-cutting measure that would have made mid-year education reductions of $836 million this school year, as Gov. David Paterson had recommended. The education cuts are still on the table, but Paterson said today he is withdrawing his proposal because “it is… Read More →
The Campaign for Fiscal Equity could pursue reopening its court case or new litigation if state lawmakers and Gov. David Paterson implement the governor’s $836 million in cuts this school year to elementary and secondary schools in the state, Geri Palast, CFE’s executive director, said today. The reduction would hamper… Read More →
Judith Kaye, New York’s longest serving and first woman chief judge, will deliver her final annual State of the Judiciary report tomorrow in Albany. Kaye is stepping down Dec. 31 because she is “aging out” of the judicial system, which has a mandatory retirement age of 70. As leader of the… Read More →
The mid-year update to the state budget makes some changes in estimated costs for 2009-10. In most cases, programs will be more expensive to operate, according to the financial plan. Examples include:    —Higher projected school-aid costs of $13 million. The increase is primarily being driven by growth in building… Read More →
  One of the big tasks for an ex-assemblyman just hired by the state School Boards Association for government relations work will be to keep the Big 4 city school districts—Yonkers, Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse—under the control of school boards. The board hired Steven Sanders, a New York City Democrat who chaired… Read More →
  At a meeting scheduled for Sept. 29, the State University of New York’s Finance and Administration Committee expects to receive reports on how its campuses will implement $40 million in reductions, according to H. Carl McCall, chairman of the committee.   With the latest round of state budget cuts… Read More →
  Selected schools will begin reporting body mass index (BMI) data to the state Health Department this year, information that will be used to guide obesity prevention efforts in New York. To protect privacy, no personal identifying information will be reported.   Legislation passed last year requires that public schools outside… Read More →