The Association’s Letter in Braille Delivered to Governor Hochul

Albany, NY – The 4201 Schools Association, which represents 11 schools serving children who are blind, deaf, and severely physically disabled, announced today that a letter was delivered to Governor Hochul requesting that $2 million be reinstated in her Executive Budget before the 30-day amendment deadline on March 1.

Click here to view a PDF of the letter delivered to Governor Hochul. Letters were also sent from individual 4201 School Boards, which are also available below:

Video of the Association’s letter in braille being delivered to the Governor’s office in Albany is available for download here.

The Association’s 11 member schools, which are located in Erie, Monroe, Westchester, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties, support nearly 1,400 students across the state. All of the schools rely on the state’s investment in growth to meet the increasing needs of the student population served and to retain specially trained and qualified teachers, clinicians, and other staff.

“Our schools were extremely disappointed that Governor Hochul has proposed a massive funding increase to public school districts while reducing our operational budget by $2 million. Our children deserve every opportunity available to students attending public schools. We’re urging the Governor to reconsider her proposal during the 30-day amendment period, and make our schools whole,” said Dr. Bernadette Kappen, chair of the 4201 Schools Association and executive director of The New York Institute for Special Education.

Click here to read a statement from the Association following the release of the Governor’s Executive Budget.

The 4201 Schools Association represents 11 schools located in Erie, Monroe, Westchester, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. The schools support nearly 1,400 students who are blind, deaf, and severely physically disabled from across New York State, and are nationally recognized for their expertise and achievement. Learn more at www.4201schools.org, and @4201Schools on Twitter and Facebook.