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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Tuesday, February 21st

First hour: Examining the state's school funding plan

Second hour: Danny Wegman, Anne Kress, and Vincent Esposito from the Regional Economic Development Council

Students in the wealthiest school districts in New York State enjoy the highest per-pupil funding -- sometimes as high as $70,000 per pupil. Poorer districts can operate with roughly $15,000 per pupil. This disparity is part of the debate over school aid funding. New York spends 87% more than the national average on education, but it's wildly imbalanced. Governor Cuomo's team defends the formula but agrees that it should be updated; critics across the state want changes. We'll discuss it with a panel of educational leaders:

  • Kimberle Ward, superintendent of Gates Chili Central School District
  • Mark Linton, superintendent of East Rochester Union Free Central School District
  • Dave Green, assistant superintendent for finance and operations at East Rochester Union Free Central School District

In our second hour: Bob Duffy recently called the state to make permanent its economic development council framework. "It works," Duffy wrote in the D&C. He says states have to adopt some business principles, like fostering competition, to be successful. So we'll sit down with leaders of the Rochester Finger Lakes Council to discuss jobs, growth, and why they believe it's worth the investment. They'll respond to critics, and we'll get an update on what to expect from photonics. Our guests from the council:

  • Danny Wegman
  • Anne Kress
  • Vincent Esposito
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.