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Funding for the Mandated Services Aid program (MSA), which is used to reimburse Catholic schools for their expenses in complying with state mandates and for administering state programs, was cut by more than $17 million, or 12 percent, when Governor Paterson and the legislature enacted "across-the-board" cuts in April and August.

However, the "across-the-board" cuts did NOT apply to public schools. Moreover, public schools received an increase of $1.8 BILLION, for a second year in a row. Apparently, the Governor's and legislative leaders' concerns for school children did not extend to children enrolled in religious or independent schools.

To make matters worse, Governor Paterson and the legislature altered the very essence of the MSA program by reducing the state's obligation for reimbursement to less than 100 percent of expenses. If this precedent is allowed to stand, then the program will have changed from a reimbursement mechanism, on which our schools depend, to an aid program which will be subject to the political whim of the Governor and legislature.

The Governor and legislature are scheduled to meet for another special session in November to enact further cuts. Not only must we fight any further cuts in the current fiscal year, we must demand a restoration of the state's obligation under the MSA program, by enacting S.8197-a (by Senators Golden and Maltese, et al) / A.11075 (by Assembly Member Lentol). The State Senate unanimously approved the measure but the bill was not allowed to be voted on in the Assembly.

Please contact the Governor and your legislators to fight additional cuts this school year and once again to urge them to enact S.8197 and A.11075 to restore the legal commitment to our schools. Just go HERE to send a pre-written, fully editable message. Fill out the required information and the system will automatically direct it to your Senator and Assembly Member, as well as Gov. Paterson.