State Senator Tim Kennedy (D) and Democratic Majority Education Chair Senator Shelley Mayer hosted a discussion Friday in Buffalo about education funding for local school districts. 

Stakeholders have been looking to get their fair share for more than a decade, and had a chance to make their voices heard. The discussion was the second of several listening sessions around the state.

Leaders say the foundation aid formula state lawmakers created more than a decade ago, which factors how much money districts get, hasn't been followed. 

"So, we're talking about the need to review if whether those factors still work, and also obviously the need for additional school funding in so many of our districts," Mayer said.

"Regardless of where you live in New York state, regardless of what neighborhood you come from, regardless of what your socioeconomic status is, all of our children are important," Kennedy said.

Several stakeholders at the discussion included superintendents, school board members and parents.

Union leaders were also at the table, looking for the state to pay Buffalo Schools more than a billion dollars in back aid, and then rework its formula.

"You can't undo the damage that has been done to the students. Any time you have an opportunity to have people that want to listen to what really needs to be done. I think that we're going to make some progress, and we can't stop until we do," said Buffalo Teacher Federation President Phil Rumore.

"The whole New York State formula has been really a joke over the last decade," said Dr. Bret Apthorpe, Jamestown Public School District Superintendent.

 Apthorpe says with a 70% poverty rate, his district has been underfunded $7 million each year.

"That's money we could use to improve our student achievement. School districts like the City of Jamestown are heavily dependent on foundation aid. And it's very important for us to have insight into what the considerations might be," said Apthorpe.

Prior to the event, the Alliance for a Quality Education and Citizen Action called on lawmakers to restore the funding.

"Give us the money that is owed to the students, owed to the parents. Give us the funds that we need to properly protect and keep our children in a safe environment, 100% of the time. That is the number one message," said Citizen Action Education Committee Chair Desmond Nalls.

Members urged Mayer to take their message back to Albany. 

"So, I think everyone is on the same page. We have districts that really have unique needs. Not every district is the same. And the state should take that into account.  And we think we need to reexamine the factors by which that money is distributed," said Mayer.

From Buffalo, the Senate majority takes its discussion to Syracuse later this month, followed by a handful of others across the state. Lawmakers will take that information when the new legislative session begins in January.