ALBANY — New York's education policymakers are asking for an extra $1.6 billion in state aid for schools next year, even as the state is facing a projected budget deficit of more than $4 billion.

Supporters say the request, which amounts to a 6.3 percent increase over last year's funding, is more than fair when taking into account the rising needs of students statewide and growth in fixed costs to school districts for health care, pensions and salaries.

"New York's students deserve the best education possible and our state aid request and legislative proposals will ensure schools continue to improve and better prepare our children while also acknowledging the state's fiscal realities," said state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia.

The Regents last year requested a $2.1 billion increase in school aid, and got $1.1 billion. The year before that, they requested a $2.4 billion increase. But this year, the state faces an unprecedented unique set of challenges. In addition to a projected budget deficit, experts say the proposed federal tax plan and potential for more than $1 billion in lost federal health care subsidies could have a devastating impact on New York.

State education officials said the request helps fulfill a longstanding promise to fully fund schools and emphasizes high-return initiatives, like early childhood education, that would help save the state money in the long run.

Outsiders say the request is yet another example of an education bureaucracy that's out of touch with fiscal realities.

"The $1.6 billion is reasonable by the Regents' standards, but it's still a half billion dollars more than the projected level that the state for now can afford," said E.J. McMahon, research director of the Empire Center for Public Policy, a fiscally conservative think tank based in Albany. "And if the gap gets worse, the first place any governor turns to fill it is school aid."

The plan
Should schools receive the extra $1.6 billion next year, the Regents are asking that $1.25 billion of it go toward foundation aid — an aid category and formula enacted in 2007 to better allocate aid to the students and districts that need it the most. Ten years later, school districts say they are still owed $4.2 billion under the formula.

Under the Regents plan, all districts that are still owed money would see a uniform percentage increase in foundation aid next school year. But even those that have received the full funding under the formula up would see a minimal increase to account for the rise in fixed costs districts are facing statewide, officials said.

Other aid requests include $314 million to reimburse districts for costs associated with construction, transportation, BOCES and special education; $25 million for career and technical education programs; and $20 million to put the state on a path toward universal prekindergarten.

According to an analysis by the state's major education organizations, an extra $1.5 billion in state aid is needed next year just to maintain existing programs and services.

Nevertheless, the state's education leaders try to be strategic with their requests each year — prioritizing the initiatives they believe are the most crucial and have the best shot at getting funded, while also making the case for returns down the road.

Such was the case with this year's requests for early childhood programming.

The Regents recently formed a blue ribbon committee to look at early childhood issues amid the debate over inappropriate testing of the state's youngest students. On Monday, that committee presented the board with nine recommendations worth $37 million it believes would put the state on a path toward transforming care and education for children, starting from birth to age 8, when most children enter third grade.

That's a critical year. Students who aren't reading at grade level by the end of third grade are unlikely ever to read at grade level and are at greater risk of academic failure, dropping out of school, delinquency later in life and diminished economic prospects throughout their lifetime, research has found.

The committee also pointed to research showing that for every dollar spent during these years, the state can expect to see a return of more than $7 down the road through reduced expenditures on special education, public assistance and the criminal justice system.

Among their requests: a $20 million proposal to expand prekindergarten from 65 percent of New York children who are currently being served to 75 percent, starting with the highest-need children; and $700,000 to begin implementing a screening process for children that would examine vision, hearing, physical and dental health, speech and language skills, fine and gross motor skills, and social, emotional and cognitive development.

Several of these programs, like the latter, would work in concert with other state agencies, including the Department of Health.