BILL NUMBER: S8139
SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the extraordinary
needs count for purposes of the apportionment of public moneys to school
districts employing eight or more teachers
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To ensure equitable funding for school districts by recognizing the
additional needs of students experiencing homelessness, in foster care,
or in temporary housing, and adjusting the extraordinary needs count
accordingly.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Education Law Section 3602, subdivision 1, paragraph S
to include a weighted count for students identified as homeless or in
foster care. The "Extraordinary needs count" will now include the sum of
the product of the English language learner (ELL) count multiplied by
the ELL weight, the poverty count, the sparsity count, and the newly
added count of homeless children and children or youth in foster care.
Section 2 establishes a new definition for the "count of homeless chil-
dren and children or youth in foster care," which shall be calculated as
the sum of the product of students identified at any point in the most
recently completed school year as homeless or in foster care, multiplied
by thirty-two percent.
Section 3 provides for an effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Students that are in foster care or are experiencing homelessness face
unique challenges that require additional educational resources. These
populations are often more vulnerable to academic disruptions, instabil-
ity, and as a result experience reduced access to learning opportu-
nities. By amending the Extraordinary Needs Count to include these
groups, the bill seeks to provide school districts with additional fund-
ing to support tailored interventions and services for these students.
This measure aims to close the equity gap in education funding, ensuring
that schools serving the most at-risk students have the necessary
resources to address their needs effectively. Recognizing these students
within the extraordinary needs count acknowledges the systemic barriers
they face and provides school districts with targeted financial support
to mitigate these specific challenges.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect July 1, 2025; provided, however, that if
section 4-a of part A of chapter 56 of the laws of 2025 shall not have
taken effect on or before such date then section one of this act shall
take effect on the same date and in the same manner as such part of such
chapter of the laws of 2025, takes effect.

Statutes affected:
S8139: 3602 education law, 3602(1) education law