I can’t find a link for this story, but I have the newspaper in front of me.

(Thanks to a reader, here is the link:

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/84-of-li-school-districts-to-get-less-aid-than-6-years-ago-under-cuomo-budget-plan-1.6973979)

It is dated February 7, 2014, Newsday (published on Long Island, New York), and it is the front-page headline:

“School Aid Slide: 84% of LI Districts to get less from state than 6 years ago.”

“Guv’s aides cite declining enrollment”

Inside, the story says that 68% of districts across the state will get less state aid under Cuomo’s formula in 2014-15 than they received in 2008-09.

That includes 78% of the districts in the Lower and mid-Hudson Valley, and 100% of New York City districts.

The governor’s staff attributed the lower funding to enrollment declines.

School leaders noted the increases in employee pay health insurance, pensions, heating expenses and said: “I can go from 25 students in a classroom to 19 students, and I still need a teacher in that classroom.”

The governor’s budget calls for a rise of 3.8% and includes $100 million for full-day pre-kindergarten, targeted to low-income students.

Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio of New York City have been at odds because de Blasio wants a dedicated tax on residents of New York City who earn over $500,000 a year to pay for pre-kindergarten rather than go hat in hand every year to Albany.

In addition, the governor will ask voters to approve a $2 billion bond issue for new technology.

One local school leader said:

“How are you going to have kids in full-day prekindergarten, and then have them come back to kindergartens that are half-day?”

Some districts may have to cut back to half-day sessions to save money.

Cuomo earlier imposed a 2% tax cap across the state, which districts cannot increase without a vote by 60% of voters.

Cuomo says he is the “students’ lobbyist.”

He views increases in aid as money for bloated administrative salaries and for greedy labor unions.