About NYSASCSD

New York’s 57 Small City School Districts are the backbone of their communities and the
future of our state. Located in cities with populations between 25,000 and 125,000, these districts
educate more than a quarter of a million students—students who embody the diversity,
resilience, and promise of New York. Small city districts hold a unique place in our education
landscape:

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• Large enough to offer comprehensive programs, advanced coursework, and extracurricular opportunities.

• Small enough that every policy, funding decision, and mandate has an immediate and lasting impact on students, families, and communities.

Yet, for far too long, these districts have faced systemic inequities in Foundation Aid—the
very funding formula meant to equalize opportunities across New York. Despite the State’s
stated commitment, Foundation Aid has consistently fallen short of providing the resources small
city schools truly need. The result? Students with the greatest needs—higher-than-average
populations of students living in poverty, English Language Learners, and students with
disabilities—are too often left without the supports they deserve.
 

Even in the face of inequity, small city districts continue to lead with innovation,
creativity, and community-driven education. They prove, every day, that when given the tools,
they can deliver transformative outcomes for their students.
This is why the New York State Association of Small City School Districts (NYSASCSD)
exists:

• To advocate relentlessly for fair and equitable Foundation Aid

• To amplify the voices of superintendents, boards, educators, and families.

• To ensure that lawmakers in Albany and Washington understand that when small city schools are shortchanged, New York’s future is shortchanged.

Small city students matter. Their schools matter. Their success depends on action now. Join
us in advocating for equity and opportunity. Explore our 57 districts below and learn how you
can stand with small city schools.