Dear Recipient's Title and Name:

In recent years, Albany came forward with a pioneering initiative, called the STEM Reimbursement Program. This program recognizes the growing need for qualified STEM teachers in nonpublic schools by providing grants to reimburse schools for their STEM teachers’ salaries.

Due to the limited amount of funds that had been appropriated for these grants, only a portion of the $81 million in applications received by the New York State Department of Education were funded this year, meaning the Department could only meet a small portion of the total need.

Our economy depends on investment in STEM education. Moreover, New York State’s Department of Labor projects a 67% growth in tech jobs by 2026, many of which may need to be outsourced overseas because we’re not ready.

The STEM Reimbursement Program funding allocated to date will help many children. But unless future allocations increase dramatically, too many will be left out. We ask for your support in working towards increasing funding of the STEM reimbursement program by allocating $57 million in the FY2022 budget.

Sincerely,
Your Full Name

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