Effective for Education

As a member of the Committees on Education and Higher Education, Amy Paulin is a driving force in raising standards in our schools and providing the funding they need to do a good job.

This year alone, she brought a record increase of $7.6 million in state aid to public schools in her district which is 11.6% more than last year and almost $5 million more than the Governor had proposed. This record increase includes $1.3 million in High Tax Aid which was secured for some of the districts for the first time this year. High Tax Aid is given to communities that are highly-taxed but have comparatively lower wealth.

Amy also led the fight to restore $78 million in BOCES aid, to reject the elimination of a selected building aid ratio, and to save between 10% and 30% on building projects with the passage of WICKS reform. These dollars mean top quality education without additional hikes in local property taxes.

To help pay for college, Amy successfully fought a $50 across the board cut to all TAP recipients and expanded the timeframe for when a student can apply for an adjustment to their TAP award ensuring that New York’s college campuses remain accessible and affordable. She also helped secure an increase in operating aid of $597.1 million for SUNY and CUNY and a $5.9 billion five year capital projects plan.

The safety of our students is a high priority for Amy. This year she passed legislation that provides for the immediate termination of any teacher, school administrator or support staff found guilty of committing a sex offense and the automatic revocation of their teaching certificate or license.

Amy Paulin believes that nothing is more important than providing quality public school education. “Not only do we have an obligation to our kids to prepare them for an increasingly competitive world, but good public schools are essential to keep New York State a place where people want to live,” says Paulin.