A citywide school budget that was approved months ago has been reversed by one state Supreme Court judge – which was blocked by an Appeals Court judge afterwards. 

The previously approved budget included hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts, but previously unused money from the federal stimulus could fill the gaps.  

The City Council’s Committee on Education heard testimony from many, including City Comptroller Brad Lander, on why budget cuts to education need to be fixed.  

A City Hall spokesperson provided the statement below:  

“Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks are committed to providing our students with the best education possible. Every single student in our school system remains at 100% fair student funding. The funding in the budget has been approved for months and was negotiated, reviewed, and voted on by the City Council with full transparency. It was responsibly adjusted to address declining enrollment. Further, we have allocated all federal stimulus dollars to critical programs and needs. We look forward to opening our schools, on time, next month with the resources they need to ensure our students thrive.” 

Today’s meeting closed with the City Council saying that the issue is ongoing and has not been fixed.