Honorable George A. Amedore, Jr.
New York State Senate
802 LOB
Albany, NY 12247
Dear Senator Amedore:
I am writing to thank you for co-sponsoring and passing Senate Bill 6377, which would end the
outdated and punitive Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) for school districts once and for all. I urge you
to stand firm on this pledge as state budget negotiations move forward.
As you know, the Governor in his proposed 2016-17 Executive Budget has expressed a willingness to end
the GEA, but only over a two-year period. This delay would mean a loss to the Bethlehem schools of
more than $1.3 million in aid for the 2016-17 school year.
Over the last several years, the Gap Elimination Adjustment has had a significant negative impact on the
Bethlehem Central School District and the children and families it serves. Our school district’s
accumulated loss of revenue to the GEA now totals more than $19 million and if continued in the 2016-17
state budget, would exceed $21 million.
Compounding what has been a devastating loss to the GEA is the Governor’s recommendation that
Foundation Aid remain frozen for Bethlehem in 2016-17. These are dollars that are used for keeping staff
and programs in place and retaining the quality education we strive to deliver to the children in our
community.
In a year when our district, like many others, will face local revenue constraints created by a
property tax cap at or near zero, the return of the GEA and an increase in Foundation Aid is
more important than ever.
Thanks to the efforts of legislators to make education funding a priority during last year’s budget
negotiations, our district was finally able to restore some teaching positions and programs after many
years of cuts. In these areas, we are already seeing great success. Increased state support in the current
school year helped the district add five Response to Intervention (RTI) teaching specialists at the
elementary level. Every day, these teachers are lending critical support to our youngest learners who
struggle with the fundamentals of reading and math. Full restoration of GEA is needed in 2016-17 and a
commitment to adequate and stable state aid now and into the future is required to ensure this kind of
meaningful progress continues and is not undone. With your support, it will.
Thank you for the work you do on behalf of the residents of the Bethlehem Central School District.
Sincerely,