Chapter 32: New York

Enacted in 1894, Article 11 §1 of the New York State Constitution states the Legislature “shall provide for the maintenance and support of a system of free common schools, wherein all the children of this state may be educated.” The State currently operates 731 school districts.² The five largest urban districts, commonly referred to as the “Big Five,” are fiscally dependent on city government for local funding (New York City, Yonkers, Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester). All other districts are fiscally independent (i.e., have independent taxing and borrowing authority). The State also has 37 Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) that provide shared services to component districts.³