R.E.F.I.T. Elects Dr. Kuncham as New President
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham was recently elected to serve as president of Reform Educational Financing Inequities Today. R.E.F.I.T. is a consortium of school districts who have joined together to secure for their students the advantages enjoyed by their peers in other areas and for their communities a fair and equitable share of New York State aid to education.
"I am honored to serve as president of R.E.F.I.T.," said Dr. Kuncham. "New York State must be held accountable to address the inequities in school funding especially for the high tax/low wealth school districts, who are struggling to provide all students with a quality education. We will continue to fight for full restoration of Foundation Aid and work to reform the state aid. The state owes $3.9 billion to school districts across the state."
In 1974, 30 high tax/low wealth school districts challenged the constitutionality of New York State's financing system in the Levittown vs. Nyquist case. In June 1978, Nassau County Supreme Court Justice L. Kingsly Smith ordered the New York State Legislature to reform the state aid formula to provide equity in funding for all needy school districts.
Following that decision, the high tax/low wealth school districts joined together and formed R.E.F.I.T. The organization's mission was and still is to use all available means including continued or additional legal action to obtain the equal protection that is guaranteed by the New York State's constitution for the students who reside in high tax/low wealth districts.
