New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to expand after-school programs for middle school students will cost $190 million, he said.
De Blasio repeated his call to state lawmakers to approve a tax increase on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for the program. “This is a critical investment that will transform our schools,” he said on March 3.
De Blasio wants to raise the income tax on city residents who make more than $500,000 per year to subsidize two major initiatives, universal pre-kindergarten and after-school programs.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo opposes de Blasio’s tax-hike plan, and himself called for statewide funding of universal pre-K.
The city’s Department of Youth and Community Development and the Department of Education would contribute $31.9 million of the $190 million for evaluation and quality assurance, de Blasio said in a report.
The plan would more than double the after-school program slots to 120,000 from 45,000.
De Blasio has submitted a $73.7 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2015, which the 51-member City Council must approve by July 1.
Moody’s Investors Service rates the city’s general obligation bonds Aa2, while Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s assign AA ratings.
