ALBANY - As President-Elect Barack Obama’s transition team and Congressional leaders craft the massive economic stimulus package, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and Governor David Paterson Monday announced a joint effort to include billions in new education block grants funding as part of the stimulus package to ensure schools in New York and across the country are protected during the economic crisis. Schumer and Paterson are pushing for the creation of a new education block grant program that could send billions in direct education aid to both states and localities to ease pressure on school budgets that are facing massive cuts as the economy tumbles.

New York State school budgets are severely strained and are facing severe budget cuts to P-16 education funding due to the current economic downturn. The New York officials said that the billions of additional dollars would go toward alleviating the dramatic crunch facing state and local budgets.

In addition to preventing massive teacher layoffs and programmatic cuts, Schumer and Paterson said that by injecting funding directly into those education budgets, New Yorkers would be spared property tax hikes which are used to by school boards to cover education costs. From large cities like New York City to smaller municipalities in Long Island and Upstate, many local governments are considering or have already imposed significant property tax hikes to close historic budget gaps. Schumer said that the last thing New York homeowners can afford during these difficult times is jump in already sky high property taxes.