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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Molly Senack, Education and Employment Community Organizer from Center for Independence of the Disabled New York
7:48:10
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147 sec
Molly Senack, representing the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York and the Coalition for Equitable Education Funding, testified on the FY 2026 executive budget. She expressed appreciation for long-term funding of certain programs but raised concerns about others only receiving one-year funding, which creates uncertainty and potential difficulties in program implementation.
- Highlighted programs at risk include restorative justice, mental health continuum, immigrant family communication and outreach, learning to work, and summer programming.
- Emphasized that students with disabilities would be disproportionately impacted if long-term funding is not secured for these programs.
- Called for continued investment in the mental health continuum, early childhood special education, and increased funding for physical accessibility capital projects.
Molly Senack
7:48:10
My name is Mali Sanak and I am the education and employment community organizer for Center for Independence of the Disabled New York and I'm also a member of the Coalition for Equitable Education Funding.
7:48:21
First let me thank you all so much for giving us the opportunity to testify and for your continued advocacy for the education programs that we've been hearing about today.
7:48:32
Let me start off by saying that we are very pleased to see that the fiscal year twenty twenty six executive budget continued, pardon me, included long term funding for several programs including three ks, preschool special education, community schools, and many others.
7:48:47
However, while these programs were baselined in the executive budget, others were funded for one year only, meaning they will once again be at risk of cuts in 2026.
7:48:59
Funding programs for a year at a time puts communities in an inherently uncertain position.
7:49:05
A program that is only guaranteed for a year is going to have more trouble attracting, hiring, training, and retaining qualified staff.
7:49:14
Simultaneously, students and families are asked to rely on the content of programs whose presence they cannot depend on.
7:49:22
While actual program cuts may or may not be made in 2026, the impact of the uncertainty of how to invest in these programs will be felt immediately.
7:49:34
The programs that are at risk include restorative justice, the mental health continuum, immigrant family communication and outreach, learning to work, and summer programming.
7:49:41
And student success centers were excluded from the executive budget altogether and are facing cuts as early as July.
7:49:48
These programs were implemented to provide support for the students with the greatest needs and while the loss will be felt by all New York City Students, if long term funding for these programs is not included in the final budget, students with disabilities will be disproportionately impacted.
7:50:02
I'd like to take this moment to focus on all of the mental health statistics we have been hearing and to remind everyone that earlier this room was filled with students and we saw how those statistics are represented by the individuals.
7:50:19
More information on this is included in my written testimony, but I would just like to say that in addition to those investments we would also like to see continued investment for the mental health continuum, for early childhood special education, and for the increased funding for physical accessibility capital projects.
7:50:36
Thank you so much for your