NYC School Librarian Guidebook: Funding and Budget Management

To locate your budget:

1.  Find the NYCPS Welcome Page for your school. (Type the number or name of your school in the Name or Location search box under School Search on the DOE home page and click on it in the list that comes up and then click GO. Click on your school name or Website in the box with your school’s information on the map.)
2. When you are on your school’s Welcome Page, click on “Statistics & Budget” in the left hand column.
3.  Scroll down and click on “Budget Summary.”
4. Scroll down to final section "Section OTPS" and find the line that says: “LIBRARY BOOKS.”

How do I know if my budget is correct?

The minimum school library budget is based on the state formula of $6.25 per student recorded on your school’s register (via the Basic Education Data System (BEDS form) as of October 31 of the previous year. So if your student population is 500, your budget would be $3125.00 (500 x $6.25).

Instructional Materials Aid

The formulas for Textbook, Library Materials, Computer Software and Computer Hardware Aids remain unchanged, but the enacted budget provides districts with new flexibility in how expenses for those aids may be claimed. Under the new provisions, if a school district spends more than its maximum allocation in any one of the areas, the excess expense over the maximum allocation can be designated as expense for aid in one or more of the other categories, with the exception of Library Materials expense. The new provisions first apply to 2011-12 expenses for 2012-13 aids. Click below for more information:

2011-12 Amendments to Textbook, Software and Instructional Computer Hardware Aids Statutes