For the last seven years, New York state has been raiding the coffers of its school districts to balance its budgets.

The state’s Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) was instituted by the Patterson administration in the 2009-10 school year to help the state fill its revenue shortfall. Essentially, the state allocates a certain amount of aid to schools each year, then takes away a portion of that aid through the GEA. If the amount of state aid allocated to schools exceeds the projected growth in the state’s personal income, regardless of the need projected by schools, the GEA is increased to contain overall growth within legislated limits. If state aid increases are less than that limit or of legislators choose to exceed the state aid cap, the GEA can be decreased. However, the GEA generally remains at the same levels year to year. It’s rarely decreased, meaning schools are losing more and more money every year — money that was promised to them by the state.

Now, at long last, after two years of state surpluses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is finally proposing eliminating the GEA. But instead of getting rid of it right away, Cuomo’s executive budget calls for phasing out the GEA over the next two years.

That’s not good enough.

Since the 2009-10 school year, schools in Central New York have lost more than $250 million. That has forced them to eliminate extracurricular and co-curricular activities and lay off staffers. All the while, mandated costs continue to climb.

With schools under extreme financial stress, especially this year, as the tax cap is at a record-low 0.12 percent, it’s imperative that the state increase the aid it extends to school districts. The first part of that is actually providing schools with the money it promises to schools by eliminating the GEA right immediately.

The New York State Senate has already voted to restore GEA funds and eliminate this incredibly damaging program as part of this year’s budget. The Assembly must do the same. Give that money back to our students, where it belongs.