While the latest New York state budget increases education funding by $1 billion, advocacy groups are criticizing a failure to adequately ensure equitable education funding across all school districts.

The total number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in New York state climbed to 950 on Monday afternoon. In response, the state has closed schools; modified election law; closed restaurants, theaters, casinos and gyms until further notice; increased testing; and exhorted the federal administration to employ greater resources to combat the spread of the virus.

State lawmakers have announced they will seek input regarding billions of dollars in state education funding and how is it distributed across public school districts.

The state will monitor four core factors to determine if a region may reopen in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; outlines safety precautions required of reopening businesses; extends health care marketplace special enrollment.

All New York K-12 schools and colleges will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, while continuing to provide certain services and creating plans to reopen that must be approved by the state. The state has also launched a new effort to reduce hospitalizations and is making emotional support services available to frontline health care workers.

All school board elections and budget votes in New York have been delayed until June and will be conducted by mail, while local special district and village elections will now be delayed until mid-September.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered his tenth State of the State address, entitled “Making Progress Happen,” in Albany on Wednesday as state lawmakers returned to the capital for the beginning of the 2020 legislative session.

The state comptroller has announced that his auditors have found $11.7 million more in inappropriate payments made to private preschool special education providers in New York, continuing a statewide investigation that has uncovered close to $100 million in misspent taxpayers funds resulting from fraud and mismanagement over the last decade — funding that was meant to support 3- and 4-year-olds with special needs.

A new law will allow for a brief moment of silence in public schools across the state at the beginning of the school day every September 11th — “to encourage dialogue and education in the classroom, and to ensure future generations have an understanding of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks and their place in history.”