Letters To Senator from parents:

Senator Frank Padavans office received more than 200 hand-delivered letters Friday from parents in School Districts 25 and 26 calling for more funding for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement than what the state legislature has currently proposed.
Organized by the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), parents signed letters saying that though all school funding proposals so far are woefully low, the State Senate offers the smallest amount, a $1.7 billion increase in annual operating aid to city schools, or a 37.2% raise.
In June 2003, the State Appellate Court ruled that New York had shortchanged the citys 1.1 million students, giving them far less funding per capita than school districts in other parts of the state. Now, fewer than 60 days remain for the state to settle on an amount for the city schools.
The form letter calls on Padavan, a senior member of the Senate, to use his influence to increase the proposal. Governor George Pataki and the State Assembly have also submitted proposals. Patakis would give $2.2 billion in annual operating aid, and the assembly has proposed $3.9 billion. According to the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, the organization that brought the lawsuit against New York, $4.5 billion in state aid is necessary to make up for years of underfunding.
Parents also signed a poster-board letter that was affixed to Padavans office.
"NYC is always forgotten and always put aside," said Jane Reif, a parent with kids in PS 130 and PS 107 and a co-president of District 25s Presidents Council.
Though the senators office was closed on Friday, one of his spokesman told The Queens Courier that the Senates proposal was for negotiations and a final amount would most likely be higher.
"The $1.7 billion is a starting point," said John Gallagher, adding that the Senator is continually working to get more funding for city schools. "He [Padavan] thinks that it will probably end up higher.