Every New York City public school student deserves the same opportunity for a great education. And that means every school deserves fair funding. For years, though, our school budgeting has fallen short of that promise. Under Fair Student Funding, launched in spring 2007, we have begun to fund schools primarily based on the needs of the children at each school.

For schools to help students achieve the results we all expect, principals need the power to make key decisions about programming, budgets, and staffing. This idea of principal empowerment underlies our Children First school reforms. It’s another reason why we created a school funding system that empowers principals, giving them as much discretion as possible in exchange for holding them accountable for student outcomes.

To make resources move in line with this philosophy, we have reorganized school funding to make it work better for schools and students. Today, because of the Fair Student Funding and Children First Fund allocations schools have received since last year, schools have more flexibility and more power to use funds to advance their instructional goals. Since schools are also receiving money more equitably, in line with the needs of students, these changes should allow resources to be allocated more effectively than ever before.

Read more about Fair Student Funding here.
Find out what your school's budget is here.