Historic Education Investments & Distraction-Free Learning

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed new legislation as part of the FY 2026 Enacted Budget to make P-12 education investments, including $37.6 billion in total School Aid for the 2025-2026 school year — the highest level of school funding in state history. The Budget also includes the Governor's plans to foster better learning opportunities for all students through the adoption of a Universal Free School Meals program and her Distraction-Free Schools initiative, making New York the largest state in the country with a smartphone restriction policy in schools.

"As New York’s first mom governor, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to help kids across the state," Governor Hochul said. "This Budget builds on our record funding for education, ensures no student goes to school hungry, and restricts smartphone use in schools to create a distraction-free learning environment so that our kids can focus on learning, not scrolling."

Record School Aid

Following historic increases in School Aid over the last four years, the Enacted Budget maintains key investments and increases annual School Aid by $1.7 billion (4.9 percent), for a record total of $37.6 billion, while updating the Foundation Aid formula.

With this Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul will have increased School Aid by approximately $8.3 billion (29 percent) over four years, including fully funding Foundation Aid for the first time ever. Foundation Aid alone will have increased by $6.5 billion, or 33 percent – an average increase of 7.4 percent per year.

Universal Free School Meals

The Budget provides $340 million for school meals, a $160 million (89 percent) year-to-year increase, and requires all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools that participate in the national school lunch and breakfast program to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all students regardless of their families’ income, thereby reducing costs for families and ensuring that no student goes hungry at school.

Distraction-Free Schools

After participating in listening sessions across the state, Governor Hochul secured provisions in the FY 2026 Enacted Budget to restrict the use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices on school grounds during school hours in order to ensure a distraction-free learning environment. This policy aims to improve student outcomes by addressing the negative impacts of smartphone use on children’s mental health and academic performance. The Budget provides $13.5 million to aid in the implementation of distraction-free school policies.

Dual Enrollment Policy

Governor Hochul secured the state’s first dual enrollment policy to help ensure that certain high school students can receive high-quality college credits for free. Taking college-level courses in high school helps students to matriculate and persevere through a four year degree program and make it more affordable to do so. The Budget includes $61 million, a $3 million increase, to support existing dual enrollment programs and encourage new, high-quality partnerships between high schools and colleges in the state.