New York State School Boards Association
| New York State School Boards Association | |
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| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Latham, New York |
| Top official: | Sandra Ruffo, President |
| Year founded: | 1896 |
| Website: | Official website |
The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) is an organization representing school boards in the state of New York. As of September 2025, the organization's website described it as "the statewide voice for the interests of public boards of education. NYSSBA serves more than 678 local school boards and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES), which represent more than 5,000 members – nearly half the elected officials in the state."[1]
Background
The organization was founded in 1896 as the New York State Association for School Boards. It merged with the New York State Association of Central Rural School District Boards in 1932, taking on its current name. In 1945, the state legislature made specific provision for local school boards to allocate public funds towards NYSSBA dues payments.[1] As of September 2025, the organization's mission was:[2]
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The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) provides leadership to school boards for the purpose of fostering student success through advocacy, information and programs.[3] |
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As of the same date, the organization outlined the following goals:[2]
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Advocacy
Information
Programs
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Leadership
As of September 2025, the following individuals sat on the New York State School Boards Association's board of directors:[4]
- Sandra H. Ruffo, president
- Christine Schnars, 1st vice president
- Rodney George, 2nd vice president
- Thomas J. Nespeca, treasurer
- Peggy Zugibe, immediate past president
- David Lowrey
- Pete Nowacki
- William L. Miller
- Wayne Rogers
- Cathy Lewis
- Brian LaTourette
- Bishop John Williams
- Sheryl Brady
- Charmise P. Desiré
- Catherine M. Romano
- Melissa Aviles-Ramos
- Dr. Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio
- Robin Bolling
Work and activities
Lobbying efforts
Among the New York State School Boards Association's activities is lobbying at the state and federal levels to support policies the organization says will advance its mission. The organization outlined its federal legislative priorities for 2025 as follows:[5]
School Meals: Congress must reject any and all proposals that would reduce federal support for school meals. Currently in New York State, schools participating in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program receive full funding through a combination of state and federal dollars to provide breakfast and lunch to all of their students, without the hassle of individual form collection. School cafeteria staff have lauded this program for both its administrative ease, as well as increased meal participation among students. The program has been proven to reduce student hunger and eliminate the stigma some students face of not being able to afford their meals. A recent proposal from the House Ways and Means Committee to raise the CEP threshold from 25% to 60% would impact nearly 1,800 schools and over 900,000 students in the state.
A second proposal would require non-CEP participating schools to collect income verification documentation in addition to the already required free and reduced-price lunch (FRPL) applications for every student who may be eligible for school meal assistance. School districts have long struggled to collect FRPL applications from students, resulting in a vast undercount of eligible students. The results of increased administrative requirements would have multiple negative effects on schools. Bogged down with double the paperwork, school food service employees would be forced to spend their time following up with parents who have not submitted the proper forms rather than focusing on school food procurement, cafeteria menus, and other tasks they were hired to do. Furthermore, students who would qualify for free meals but are denied due to lack of written proof will not be able to afford their meals resulting in an accrual of school meal debt. School meal debt must be zeroed out in the same year it is accrued, and oftentimes that means school districts must move funding away from academic services and programming to pay off debt.
Medicaid and SNAP: Public school districts have access to Medicaid funding for services provided to students with disabilities that are medically necessary and/or included in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Any federal changes that could result in a loss in Medicaid enrollment could directly impact schools providing students with needed supports. Furthermore, enrollment in free school meal programs is driven largely by direct certification of students whose families receive Medicaid and/or SNAP benefits. Any reduction in either of these critical federal programs would also have a direct impact on school meal programs.
Title I: School districts rely on Title I funding to support the neediest and most disadvantaged students in their charge. Supporting and bolstering this funding stream is necessary for school leaders to appropriately serve students and help them keep up with academic learning standards, as well as other external challenges. Flexible funding streams, such as Title I grants, are imperative to allow schools to make financial decisions based on their individual needs.
IDEA Funding: Ensuring students with disabilities receive a free, appropriate education is a legal requirement, as well as the right thing to do to help our most vulnerable students succeed. Statewide, nearly 500,000 students – or 19 percent of all students – are identified as students with disabilities. The federal government has been underfunding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) since it was first passed in the 1970s. Originally promising up to forty percent in funding, the federal share has been far below that number, historically around or below fifteen percent. This means states and local school districts are providing not only their portion, but also the shortfall in the federal obligation. Congress must begin the important path to fully funding IDEA at the levels promised when this landmark legislation was first passed. To ensure school districts have the financial support required to meet the needs of students with disabilities and take steps to address special education teacher shortages, Congress must provide substantial increases to IDEA funding.
Career and Technical Education: School district and BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs have proven highly effective in helping provide students with the essential skills they require to successfully transition to college and career. The growth in popularity of such programs reflects their success. This year, New York was allocated just under $65 million from the Perkins Act to bolster CTE programs. These programs grow student interest and provide a worthy path to successful employment for tens of thousands of students. Congress must maintain strong investments in career and technical education.
State and Local Tax Deduction: The State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction is a key source of relief for taxpayers and municipalities alike. SALT-D prevents double taxation by allowing taxpayers to claim a deduction for the state and local taxes they have already paid from their income. It is critical that Congress restore full SALT deductibility and eliminate the $10,000 cap. New York has been one of the states hit hardest by the SALT cap. The limits imposed on the SALT deduction place education and other vital public sector services at risk and effectively increases their after-tax cost to taxpayers.
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
Ballotpedia was unable to locate financial information for the New York State School Boards Association.
See also
External links
- New York State School Boards Association official website
- New York State School Boards Association on X
- New York State School Boards Association on Facebook
- New York State School Boards Association on Instagram
- New York State School Boards Association on LinkedIn
- New York State School Boards Association on YouTube
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New York State School Boards Association, "NYSSBA Overview," accessed September 22, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New York State School Boards Association, "Mission, Vision and Goals," accessed September 22, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ New York State School Boards Association, "NYSSBA's Board of Directors," accessed September 22, 2025
- ↑ New York State School Boards Association, "Letter to New York Congressional Delegation," February 28, 2025
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