The following can be attributed to Dr. Bernadette Kappen, chair of the 4201 Schools Association and executive director of The New York Institute for Special Education:
“A sitting Governor has made the conscious decision to cut funding for New York’s schools serving children who are blind, deaf, and severely physically disabled. We are extremely disappointed that Governor Hochul provided 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. These funds are necessary to provide the best education possible and help our schools retain specially trained and qualified teachers and support staff, including speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and certified orientation and mobility specialists. Our schools and students face the same challenges as others – mental health, pandemic learning loss, inflation, the Great Resignation, etc. – and we need the State’s ongoing support for children with low-incidence disabilities.
Cutting critical funding for our 4201 Schools and the students we serve is unconscionable. We are urging the Governor to reconsider her proposal during the 30-day amendment period, and make our schools whole.”
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 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.