An Albany Update

From Vince Watchorn

NYSAIS Executive Director

One of the important services NYSAIS provides is the association’s presence in the State’s relevant government activities. We maintain a close connection to elected officials’ offices, the legislature, NYSED, NYCDOE, and other agencies to assure that your school’s interests are represented through our association. The recent completion of the 2025-2026 budget process presents an opportunity to overview some of the priorities we tracked this year.

Please note that some of these have a direct impact on independent schools; others merely affect the overall educational landscape in which we live.

In either case, you may be interested in the following highlights from The Enacted Budget:

Substantial Equivalency: The Enacted Budget generally codifies into statute the provisions that had so much attention from NYSAIS — the New York State Education Department substantial equivalency regulations. The “codification into statute” includes the accreditation pathway, upon which the vast majority of NYSAIS member schools rely for proof of substantial equivalency. New York State also added a student assessment pathway that includes a phase-in period through the 2032-33 school year.

Nonpublic School Programs: The Enacted Budget provides approximately $230 million in aid to reimburse nonpublic schools’ costs for State-mandated activities. This amount represents an approximate 5% year-over-year increase.

Distraction-Free Schools: While not affecting independent schools directly, it is important to know what parents and students in New York’s public schools will soon consider standard practice. The fiscal year 2026 Enacted Budget includes provisions 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. The goal of this new policy is to improve student outcomes by addressing the negative impacts of smartphone use on children’s mental health and academic performance. This requirement will be in place starting in the 2025-26 School Year and will apply to public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). The Enacted Budget provides $13.5 million to aid in the implementation of distraction-free school policies.

Universal Free School Meals: The Enacted 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.

AI Companions: The Enacted Budget establishes a nation-leading law to require AI companionship companies to implement safety features and interrupt users engaging for sustained periods with these systems. AI companions will be required to detect and implement a safety protocol if a user talks about suicidal ideation or self-harm, including referring them to a crisis center, and will be required to notify and remind users that they are not interacting with a human.

We at NYSAIS know that doing your job is enough of a challenge without needing to independently track the major developments in government. NYSAIS will continue to be your partner as “eyes and ears” in Albany and beyond. I look forward to being in touch about next year’s priorities as we head into a new school year and the new legislative session.

Thank you for the opportunity to represent you through our association of 200+ members — a group whose broad variety builds a vast educational landscape within itself!

Vince Watchorn is in his third year as the Executive Director of NYSAIS