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Friday, January 26, 2024
Vol. 73, No. 4
HEALTH, WELLNESS SUOZZI BLASTS DEVINE PILIP REVISES & BEAUTY GUIDE FOR ALLEGED ETHNIC SLUR FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES PAGES 21-24
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State aid increase proposed
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THE WIZARD
Hochul plan calls for more to Herricks, E.W. BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Nearly all North Shore school districts are on the early list to receive an increase in state aid in the 2025 budget, with three school districts anticipating a cut in their allocations. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2025 budget proposal includes an allocation of $35.3 billion in state school aid. This is an increase of $825 million from the prior budget, or a rise of 2.4%. The $825 million proposed increase from budget to budget encompasses a $507 million increase for Foundation Aid – the state’s main education operating aid formula that is based on equity. The remaining $318 million increase is attributed to all other school aid programs. The 2025 budget proposal comes in the wake of the 2024 budget’s $3.1 billion increase in school aid – a historic increase in the state that amounted to a 10% increase from the prior budget. Despite increases in the state’s budget for school aid across Long Island and in Nassau County, some districts on Long Island’s North Shore will be seeing decreases in their state aid. Of the North Shore districts proposed to receive a decrease in their state aid in 2024-2025, the three are the New Hyde Park-Garden City Union Free School District, Port Washington Continued on Page 35
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Herricks Middle School students perform “The Wizard of Oz” on stage.
Mineola wins $4.5M state grant Money intended to aid downtown revitalization under new program BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y The Village of Mineola will receive a $4,500,000 grant from the state government as part of the New York Forward Program, which helps fund revitalization efforts in smaller downtowns. Mineola is one of three winners, alongside Brookhaven and North Bell-
port, announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul in Kings Park Thursday morning. The grant will go toward ongoing plans to revitalize the downtown area in the village through pedestrian improvements and enhancing public spaces, among other things. Hochul was at Kings Park High School to highlight funding in her proposed budget for Long Island in-
cluding improvements to housing, business and mental health services– specifically for schools. Included in her budget are proposals to give eligible communities access to $650,000,000 in discretionary funding to encourage adding housing. Hochul said municipalities that have so far expressed interest are
Mineola, Port Washington North, Brookhaven, Greenport, the Village of Hempstead, Patchogue and Smithtown. Hochul in recent years has tried to address the state’s housing shortage, which was met with strong pushback from local officials from both sides of the aisle. Continued on Page 34
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