There are efforts to address the continuing financial problems of the East Ramapo School District, with a new school year starting next month.

This week, the New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa ordered the East Ramapo school board to increase taxes an additional 4.38% for this upcoming year in order to support its public schools.

"It feels very transformational,” said Camara Hudson, with the NYCLU, who helped a public-school parent secure the change. "I think this gives an opportunity to East Ramapo, whose students have been denied a sound basic education for many, many years.”

The parent appealed to the state that the school board failed to adopt a budget that protects its public school students.

In June, voters approved a budget with a 1% tax increase but the district has a year’s long history of budget fails.

In that 15 page document, Commissioner Rosa wrote that the 2024 budget “is arbitrary, capricious, and violative of educational policy due to the ways in which it inequitably favors nonpublic school students at the expense of public school students.”

The school districts new superintendent, Anthony DiCarlo, weighed in saying, "The Board of Education, along with the school district's counsel, state monitors and our administration, are reviewing Commissioner Rosa's directive and will work together to develop a plan to implement the mandated increase to East Ramapo's tax levy. The commissioner's directive is unprecedented and our next steps will require some time to plan. Additional information will be shared with our school community in the coming days."

Republican State Sen. Bill Weber is proposing legislation would give the district $20 million.

"It's about the kids. This bill will get the public schools the funding that they need without an interruption in any mandated services for the private schools,” said State Senator Weber. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”

He says the onetime payment would be paid back over many years and he hopes the formula which determines how much state aid school districts get will soon be changed.

News 12 reached out to the school board for comment and have not heard back.