A new study provides New York State with an outline of necessary updates to its school funding formula.

The Rockefeller Institute study called for improving several areas such as the Regional Cost Index, which has not been updated in 18 years. Other focus areas include the poverty metric, which does not give a comprehensive picture of students' needs.

Randi Levine, policy director for Advocates for Children of New York, said other updates should have been considered.

"We're disappointed that there are no recommendations to add weight for students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care so that schools can better meet their needs to provide per-pupil funding for preschoolers in pre-K and 3-K," Levine explained.

She added the provisions could be passed through bills introduced by lawmakers.

More than 155,000 New York State public school students were homeless during the 2022-2023 school year. Of those, 120,000 were New York City Public School students. Columbia University found the current Foundation Aid formula uses poverty numbers from the 2000 Census and cost-of-living averages from 2006.

The Rockefeller Institute study suggested numerous ways for lawmakers to update the school funding formula. However, Levine argued some of them must be assessed for their efficacy, including a recommendation to update the poverty measure and provide a different way to measure it.

"The study provides a few different ways of doing that," Levine observed. "The study notes one of the proposals for how to change that weight would result in New York City seeing a projected decrease of around $392 million."

Other recommendations in the report included using a scaling aid approach to better supply funding for students with disabilities, a new adjustment based on instruction service hours for English Language Learners and letting school districts use Foundation Aid dollars for general education purposes, rather than regimented direct spending.


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Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her 2025 State of the State address this week, focusing on education, public safety, and economic growth in Alabama. She pointed to improvements in math and reading scores and expanded school choice options. But beyond academics, she also called for tighter regulations on cell phone and social media use in classrooms, saying it's time to tackle this issue nationwide.

"Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, and Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, will carry a bill to put a ban on cell phones in schools, she said. "This legislation will also require local boards to adopt internet safety policies and provide students with social media training."

Ivey also wants to strengthen support for teachers, particularly those looking to start families. One way, she says, is by improving maternity-leave policies. On the economy, Ivey outlined plans to turn the Department of Labor into the Department of Workforce, aiming to create more job opportunities across the state. She also emphasized supporting veterans by making their department part of her Cabinet.

Public safety was another priority in her address, particularly gun violence. Ivey pushed for a ban on Glock switches and stricter monitoring of high-risk youths, and called for expanding legal protections for police officers while backing second-chance legislation aimed at criminal justice reform.

"While we are moving forward in building two new men's prisons and graduating a number of corrections officers, we must also see that the DOC resources are reserved for the worst of the worst offenders," she continued. "That's why I'm supporting the Second Chance Act."

Ivey did not shy away from national issues either, reaffirming Alabama's commitment to border security and offering state resources - including the Alabama National Guard and ALEA - to assist where needed. Other topics on her agenda included water and sewer infrastructure, broadband expansion and policies related to gender and religion in classrooms.


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A new report showed New York State loses nearly $3 billion a year due to tax exemptions.

The state Senate report found most exempted items cost the state millions, which could be spent elsewhere. The list of exempted items includes sales tax on private jet service, which would net around $6 million, and the sale of precious metals like gold, which could mean another $601 million in tax revenue.

Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-Sunset Park, said such exemptions were not made for everyday New Yorkers.

"All of these exemptions don't serve the 99.9% of New Yorkers who are just trying to live ordinary lives," Gounardes asserted. "These are things that, I don't know about you, but I'm not buying gold bars in thousand-dollar increments, and I don't have a private jet to finance or maintain. Who's really benefiting from these carveouts and why can't we do better?"

Revising the state's tax code is what it would take to end the exemptions. Gounardes wants to see any additional revenue to be spent on programs to help families in poverty. A 2024 New York State Comptroller report found the state's child poverty rate is among the worst in the nation.

One option for cutting the child poverty rate is working its way through the Legislature. The Working Families Tax Credit bill would streamline existing tax credits into a single credit, raising the maximum tax credit to $1,600, with a $100 minimum credit per child regardless of income. Gounardes argued it could ensure more families can afford life in New York State.

"It would help us reduce deep child poverty by nearly 25%," Gounardes pointed out. "It would help us reduce child poverty overall by approximately 17%. That's significant. The total cost of that is approximately $3 billion. I think there's a great place to start. Let's actually help families afford living here."

He added the bill would also help the state achieve its goal of cutting child poverty in half by 2031. The state's Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council has recommended public benefits reform and major investments in child care and housing to complete the goal.


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A federal judge will hold a court hearing today on the legality of President Donald Trump's recent executive order to freeze federal grants and loans last week.

Despite the original memo having been rescinded, Nevada groups said federal cuts remain in place and pose threats to Nevada's clean energy future.

Jarrett Clark, spokesperson for the advocacy group For Our Future Nevada, said he worries about the precedent and instability recent executive orders will set, especially in Nevada where federal funding makes up 37% of the state's budget.

"With all of the federal incentives, the tax credits, rebates, investments, things that have been coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, businesses have been counting on those to expand their operations in our state," Clark pointed out. "And are already underway in adding jobs, building this infrastructure."

Trump's actions would leave more than 21,000 jobs and more than $15 billion in investments within Nevada's clean energy sector in limbo. The White House has stated the freeze was needed to ensure federal spending was in line with Trump's priorities. Clark countered disruptions, even if temporary, can pose dire consequences for people on the ground.

Audrey Peral, program director for the advocacy group Chispa Nevada, part of the League of Conservation Voters, called the state a clean energy leader. Since the passage of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, 20 new clean energy projects have taken root in the Silver State.

Peral cautioned despite the progress, many are still suffering from the effects of rising costs and climate change.

"Consumers want options to save money on their electricity and gas bills, like discounts to buy more efficient appliances or programs that just give access to community solar," Peral contended. "Trump is taking all these options away from consumers and leaving them with these higher bills with no options or solutions for anything better."

Kristee Watson, executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, urged elected officials, regardless of political party, to feel empowered to fight for federal dollars, which she stressed are crucial for all Nevada.

Watson pointed out Project 2025 is the playbook currently getting rolled out.

"We knew it was coming, we told voters it was coming," Watson emphasized. "Trump and his allies, that are billionaires and big polluter donors, told us what they would do. This is not surprising. Is it chaos? Is it disappointing? Is it heartbreaking? Yes. Is it surprising? No."

Watson encouraged Nevadans to pay attention and make their voices heard to their elected officials.