Locally, the extra state-aid bounty helped some districts, such as Clarence and Eden, keep school taxes stable. Newcomb Treasurer Marcia Chase said she is aware that her district benefits from the state formula, which she acknowledges is too complicated to understand. But she notes that with such small districts, increasing student enrollment by just two or three students triggers the formula's growth aid. So far, the courts haven't said that. New York's state-aid formula has been under attack for years.
Critics say lawmakers have tinkered too much with the formula.
About 10 years ago, when the state was in a recession, lawmakers capped the increased aid that poor districts could receive, arguing that the money did not exist. The cap remains. With the New York City court suit being appealed, the issue of how to deal with education funding now has become a sticking point in budget talks. Educators have proposals as well.