Oppenheimer Education Package Passes State Senate

State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Mamaroneck) says her Education Mandate Relief Package has passed in the State Senate. Oppenheimer chairs the New York State Education Committee.

The package of six bills, which she sponsored, allows school districts to more effectively manage the resources they have and make the best possible budget decisions for their communities. Said Oppenheimer, "Our current fiscal crisis compels us to look for ways to restructure government at all levels to make it more efficient and cost-effective." She adds, "The education reforms I have championed afford school districts relief from burdensome mandates."

The mandate relief plan prohibits imposition of new mandates after the start of a school fiscal year and allows Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to provide additional shared services to member districts, such as "piggyback" transportation contracts.