NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Manhattan supreme court judge on Friday temporarily barred New York City from following through with school budget cuts that have faced pushback from city legislators, parents and teachers.
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The lawsuit was brought by a group of parents and teachers who claim the budget should be voided because the city passed it without first getting approval from the Department of Education’s oversight board — as is required by law.
“We continue to believe that the cuts are causing irreparable harm to students and teachers,” Laura Barbieri, an attorney for the group, told the New York Post in a statement. “We hope to win this case on the merits, as the cuts were enacted in a manner that clearly violates state law.”
The Panel for Educational Policy is legally obligated to approve an estimated education budget before City Council votes on the overall budget.
This year, the Council voted to adopt the 2023 budget over a week before the panel gave its approval.
The city has until Monday to file papers to vacate the order. In the meantime, school funding will default to 2022 budget levels.
The plaintiffs will then have an opportunity to respond on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams’ office said City Hall plans to file a motion to vacate.
The budget cuts have become a flashpoint for conflict between Adams and the Council.
On July 13, 41 of the 51 City Council members published a letter demanding the cuts be rolled back. This pushback comes after the Council signed off on the $215 million budget cuts when legislators voted 44 to 6 to pass Adams’ 2023 city budget in mid-June.
Many council members are now claiming the Adams administration misled them by saying the cuts would be fully accounted for by declining enrollment.
A report from the New York Post later revealed that changes to the Fair Student Funding formula would result in a decrease in the amount the city spends per student.
The formula is used to calculate how much money is allotted to each school on a per-student basis.
City Council is holding a hearing on Aug. 4 regarding the impact of the cuts.
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