30-Day Amendment to Empire State After-School Program
On February 17th, Governor Cuomo released his 30-Day budget amendments, which included additional language to the proposed Empire State After-School Program. The Executive Budget that was released on January 17th previously restricted eligibility for the Empire State After-School Program to the 16 cities identified as Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI) areas.
According to the 30-Day Amendment, school districts and counties with child poverty rates “in excess of 30% as determined by the 2015 small area income and poverty estimates produced by the United States Census Bureau” will now be eligible for the program. According to the 2015 Small Income and Poverty Estimates produced by the US Census Bureau, the school districts included below have child poverty rates above 30%. Our understanding is the districts below will now be eligible for the $35 million Empire State After-School Program.
Note- Seven of the school districts included below were already eligible as ESPRI cities. Those cities are Utica, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Troy, Binghamton, and Jamestown.
| District Name | Child Poverty Rate |
| Kiryas Joel Village Union Free School District (NY) | 60.8 |
| Utica City School District (NY) | 47.1 |
| Rochester City School District (NY) | 45.8 |
| Buffalo City School District (NY) | 45.5 |
| Downsville Central School District (NY) | 42.1 |
| Lackawanna City School District (NY) | 41.9 |
| Niagara Falls City School District (NY) | 39 |
| Syracuse City School District (NY) | 38 |
| Laurens Central School District (NY) | 37.4 |
| Sharon Springs Central School District (NY) | 37.1 |
| East Ramapo Central School District (Spring Valley) (NY) | 36 |
| Fallsburg Central School District (NY) | 35.3 |
| Troy City School District (NY) | 35 |
| Binghamton City School District (NY) | 34.9 |
| Dunkirk City School District (NY) | 34.5 |
| Gloversville City School District (NY) | 34.4 |
| Jamestown City School District (NY) | 34.2 |
| Monticello Central School District (NY) | 33.6 |
| Poughkeepsie City School District (NY) | 32.3 |
| Jasper-Troupsburg Central School District (NY) | 31.5 |
| Morristown Central School District (NY) | 31.4 |
| Chautauqua Lake Central School District (NY) | 30.6 |
| Friendship Central School District (NY) | 30.4 |
| Whitehall Central School District (NY) | 30.4 |
| Salmon River Central School District (NY) | 30.1 |
Districts which may be eligible, but are currently below 30% threshold.
| St. Regis Falls Central School District (NY) | 29.9 |
| Schenectady City School District (NY) | 29.7 |
| Wainscott Common School District (NY) | 29.6 |
Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI) Cities
Albany, the Bronx, Binghamton, Buffalo, Elmira, Hempstead, Jamestown, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Oneonta, Oswego, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica and Watertown.
