Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

I always have fought and will continue to fight to ensure that schools across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions receive a fair and equitable share of state aid to education.

Aid to education currently accounts for the largest component of state government spending, more than $70 billion from all sources, reflective of the fact that a quality system of education for our young people is New York State's highest priority.

It is a priority that I have always shared.

On a per-pupil basis, New York provides more aid per student ($23,091) than any other state in America -- almost double the national average ($12,201).

We can and should be proud of this strong commitment -- and continually remain committed to keeping it strong.

Nevertheless, we can never stop working to ensure that our students, every step of the way, are receiving the highest quality of education possible.

Four years ago, I was proud to receive the Outstanding Advocate for Libraries Award from the New York Library Association (see photo above).

I was also one of only seven members of the Senate to receive the Library Champion Award from New Yorkers for Better Libraries, a prominent library advocacy organization.

The NYLA is recognized as the voice of the library community in New York State. The oldest state library association in America, the NYLA represents school, college, special and public libraries, library staff, trustees, and students statewide. It is the only statewide organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of all libraries and library staff.

According to NYLA, the Outstanding Advocate for Libraries Award "recognizes and honors an individual who, or a group that, has made a far reaching, sustained contribution to the promotion and/or support of library and information services to the people of New York State or residents within a designated service area within the State."

NYLA Executive Director Jeremy Johannesen said, "Senator Thomas O'Mara, understands the importance of libraries and how library systems are at the core of New York's educational infrastructure. His advocacy has led to a multi-million dollar investment in broadband infrastructure to provide high speed connectivity to rural communities. He appreciates and understands the vital role that libraries must continue to play in education and within the 21st century economy. Senator O'Mara has consistently delivered for the libraries he represents across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes, and library patrons statewide."

Support for libraries has always been a top priority. Fighting for our libraries is an investment in education, economic growth and civic quality for parents and families, seniors and the community at large. Our libraries play a fundamental role in local workforce development, career training and job placement. They are cherished public institutions, and we are fortunate throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions to benefit from an outstanding network of public libraries providing access to books and so many other activities, learning materials, and civic, cultural and economic opportunities.

Public libraries across New York State serve upwards of 19 million patrons annually.

Throughout my tenure in the Legislature, I have been a strong supporter of public libraries and have steadily fought for strong state support in numerous areas, incuding the critically important Library Construction Grant Program.

In 2015, in fact, I joined forces with Assemblyman Phil Palmesano of Corning to sponsor a new law (Chapter 480 of the Laws of 2015) that, for the first time, included "installation and infrastructure of broadband services" as a specific project category eligible to receive funding through the Library Construction Grant Program. Prior to the law's enactment, libraries were unable to access funding through the popular grant program specifically for broadband purposes including cable, wiring and modems, and network terminals and access points.

While serving as Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee in 2016, I was also proud to partner with one of my Southern Tier legislative colleagues, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo of the Binghamton area, to author a new law, the first of its kind in the nation, requiring school districts to test for lead in their drinking water systems.

The new law (Chapter 296 of the Laws of 2016) was a landmark achievement to protect children. Assemblywoman Lupardo and I valued the opportunity to work closely with the New York League of Conservation Voters and a broad coalition of public health, environment, and healthy schools advocacy groups to secure the law's enactment. We believed it represented the most critical foundation on which to build future actions. There was not a more important place to start the ongoing effort to better address lead contamination than within our schools to protect our children.

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