One of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s priorities this year, he said recently, is to make sure that needy schools get their fair share of funding.  “Right now we have no idea where the money is going,” Cuomo said earlier this month. “We have a formula. We direct it to the poorer districts. But what did Buffalo do with it? What does New York City do with it?”

New York City adopted the school-budget system in 2007 as a way to send more money to schools with the neediest students. It replaced a system where funding was tied to teacher salaries, which had advantaged high-performing schools that ended up receiving more money because they attracted more experienced teachers with higher salaries.

The funding formula that New York City adopted in 2007 sets school budgets based on the grades they serve, their type (for instance, whether they are vocational or selective), and their student populations. Schools receive extra money for students who are poor, struggling academically, have a disability, or are learning English. The idea is that needier students require extra support — and their schools need additional resources — if they’re to catch up with their better-off peers.

The formula has never been fully funded — and some poorer schools have never quite caught up to wealthier ones. Last year, only 23 percent of city schools received funding at or above the level to which the formula says they’re entitled, according to numbers provided by the city’s Independent Budget Office.

Some have suggested that the city should spend less on district-wide initiatives, and instead give the money directly to schools to spend. Some principals say they would rather the city pour that money into their budgets.

Read the full article about schools budgeting plan by Monica Disare at Chalkbeat.