Lowey Announces $29 Million in Federal Funds for Schools in New York’s 17th Congressional District

Increased ESEA Title I funding seeks to offer all children a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education
Funding helps offset costs of student improvement and reduces burden on local taxpayers

WHITE PLAINS/NEW CITY, NY – June 23, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Congresswoman Nita Lowey (Westchester/Rockland), the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, today announced $29,498,111 in FY2015 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I program funding for schools in New York’s 17^th Congressional District (NY-17), which includes parts of Westchester County and all of Rockland County. This year’s funding is an increase over the previous year’s allocation.

“Access to educational opportunity leads to economic security for children and families,” said Lowey. “This Title I funding improves students’ academic environment and prospects for success while helping offset local tax burdens. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am fighting to increase Title I grants and have opposed cuts to the Department of Education that threaten student development and assistance for students most in need, including cuts to literacy programs, math and science partnerships, and Pell grants. I will continue protecting federal investments that benefit students most in need.”

The FY2015 amount is an increase over the FY2014 amount ($29,403,135) and FY2013 amount ($23,141,276). ESEA Title I grants are formula driven and based on the number of at-need students in public schools.  Funds are given directly to local education agencies to provide supplemental education funding, especially in high-poverty areas, for local programs that provide extra academic support to help raise the achievement of eligible students or, in the case of school-wide programs, help all students in high-poverty schools meet challenging state academic standards.

The federal spending bill that includes U.S. Department of Education funding currently making its way through the House of Representatives would not meet the growing needs of programs like Title I and contains cuts that would jeopardize funding for literacy programs, and partnerships for important subjects like math and science that would prepare students for our increasingly technology-driven economy. Lowey has been fighting to protect this spending bill from cuts that would eliminate essential programs and funding for local schools.

Title I funding to school districts within New York’s 17th Congressional District also helps reduce the burden on local taxpayers, and partially offsets the costs of making these much-needed improvements that benefit students.

A full list of school districts within NY-17 with their FY2015 Title I funding amount is below:

As a mother of three, a grandmother of eight and a former PTA president, Lowey believes improving education is critical to our economic recovery and our children’s futures.  Because economic competitiveness is directly linked to our ability to prepare students for the needs of the global economy, she has led efforts to:

• Reduce class size by hiring new teachers;

• Provide professional development programs for principals and superintendents;

• Invest in school modernization so students can learn in 21st century classrooms;

• Increase students’ access to safe and educational afterschool activities when the school day is over; and

• Increase access to higher education.