Enacts the "learning for work act"; establishes the youth apprenticeship program and the enhanced regents professional diploma; appropriates moneys therefor.
This bill allows the school districts in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers to provide transportation for students living half a mile or more from school if safety concerns require it, as determined by the state education commissioner. It restricts transportation to routes between students' homes or approved childcare locations, limits coverage to 15 miles per student, and requires equal access for all students in similar circumstances. School districts must report program results, including cost-benefit analysis and impacts on attendance and academic performance, to state officials by 2028. The bill directly affects these four urban school districts and their students, creating a new state-approved transportation program for safety-related needs.
Relates to purchases of food products for school meals from New York state farmers, growers, producers or processors; prohibits sale of school foods containing certain synthetic color additives; establishes a "healthy kitchens, healthy schools program" to provide grants for kitchen upgrades; prohibits school meals from containing more than 25 grams of added sugars per day, in aggregate.
This bill increases the maximum family income level for qualifying for state tuition assistance to $150,000 annually. It directly affects students from families earning up to $150,000, expanding program eligibility to include more middle-income households. The law adjusts the income-based calculation method, applying specific percentage reductions to earnings above certain thresholds to determine aid amounts.
Creates city university of New York center for excellence in urban education to enhance the quality of teaching in public schools in NYC; establishes the regents public school teacher loan forgiveness program to allocate awards annually to teachers who agree to teach public school in an area of New York state designated by the board of regents as having a shortage of public school teachers.
Establishes the school mental health services program coordinator to provide qualifying public and nonpublic schools with mental health services professionals.
This bill changes how New York State funds pre-kindergarten programs outside New York City. It repeals the previous requirement for competitive selection of programs and instead guarantees funding sufficient to cover all qualifying programs in non-NYC regions. The key change ensures that every eligible pre-K program in these areas receives full funding based on need, rather than competing for limited slots. The bill also maintains the $300 million annual allocation specifically for New York City programs.
This bill requires all new teachers and school administrators applying for certification after January 1, 2026, to complete approved training on childhood trauma's impact on child development and learning. It also mandates that current school administrators and special education administrators complete this training by January 1, 2026. The training must be provided by department-approved institutions or included in district professional development programs. This applies to classroom teachers, teaching assistants, school supervisors, and administrators in public schools. The law aims to equip educators with skills to support students affected by trauma.
Requires the commissioner of education, in conjunction with the commissioner of health and the commissioner of mental health, to develop model mental health screenings for students and associated guidelines to assist school mental health screeners to perform mental health screening services to identify concerns in students' mental health.
Establishes the student loan borrower bill of rights to protect borrowers and ensure that student loan servicers act more as loan counselors than debt collectors.
