(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - The Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF) is calling for School Districts across New York State to join together to take legal action to prevent the loss of desperately-needed educational funding. 

On Wednesday (September 2nd), BTF President Phil Rumore released the following statement: "We cannot and will not stand by and allow desperately-needed school funding to be withheld from our students, especially in these extremely difficult and dangerous times.  Our students need more - not less.  The BTF calls upon school Districts across New York State to come together to take legal action to prevent New York State from irreparably harming our students by withholding millions of dollars of desperately-needed funding for our students.  The BTF stands ready to assist and will seek the assistance of our State and National (Teacher) Organizations. We must all come together to ensure that our students are not irreparably harmed by having New York State withhold the desperately needed funding our students need and deserve.”

The New York State Constitution Article XI, Part 1 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 BTF said.

In 1982, in the Levittown Free School District vs Nyquist, the New York State Court of Appeals found that the New York State Constitution therefore means that New York State must provide students with “the opportunity to obtain a sound basic education,” the Union said.

And in 2003, in Campaign for Fiscal Equity vs. New York State, the New York State Court of Appeals found that New York State had violated its Constitution in that it wasn’t providing sufficient funding for New York City students to receive a sound, basic education, the Buffalo Teachers Union pointed out.