Parents, Teachers, Students Rally For Fair Utica School Funding [VIDEO]

Dozens of concerned parents students teachers and lawmakers braved the winter weather to hold a rally for fair school funding in front of the State Office Building in Utica.

The focal point of the rally were repealing the Gap Elimination Adjustment that has taken away more than $17 million from Central New York public schools.

Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi was at the rally and said its time for Albany to hear Utica's voice.

With Utica City Schools already anticipating to cut 94 positions - and more than 50 of those being teachers, the Alliance for Quality Education says it is clear the budget continues a trend of ignoring the funding crisis in high need schools like Utica CSD.

Another issue was the proposed Charter school in Utica that Brindisi says would take Millions away from Utica's public schools.

He added that the existing charter school in Utica will take more than $2 million away from public schools next year, and another one would do even more damage to public school funding.

A petition is being circulated to encourage the board of regents to keep another charter school out of the city.

The AQE is also organizing a bus trip from Utica to Albany on March 12 to join others from around the state in asking Governor Cuomo to overhaul education funding.

For more information on the bus trip and the Alliance for Quality Education, visit the AQE website.

Watch Utica City School District President Chris Salatino address the crowd at the rally in the video below: