Republican Assembly candidate John Byrne of Cape Vincent says statistics compiled in the New York State budget over the last two years show North Country public schools have been shortchanged $11.8 million in aid compared to those in other upstate and New York City Assembly districts.

He says New York City Assembly districts received an 11 percent increase in school funding over the last two years, while some upstate Assembly districts received the same or an even higher percentage of aid during the same period. However, Byrne says school districts in the 116th Assembly district, which covers Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, only received a 7 percent increase on average.

Byrne is questioning why Democratic Assemblywoman Addie Russell of Theresa has spent months traveling the district talking about the increase in aid she’s claiming to have delivered, when numbers show schools in the Assembly district have been shortchanged.

“Taking credit for something that you actually failed to do is symptomatic of the broken culture in Albany,” Byrne said in a released statement. “Assemblywoman Russell’s claims are quite disingenuous, particularly when the facts are so glaring otherwise. What makes her latest comments so disappointing is that they involve our children and their futures.

“Assemblywoman Russell recently took credit for making sure North Country schools get their fair share, but who was listening? Ms. Russell voted for state budgets that shortchanged our school districts $11.8 million while other school districts upstate and in New York City received more than ours. How is that fighting for our fair share?”

Byrne says it’s a troubling theme that continues to emerge about Russell’s voting patterns.

“How, in good conscience, is my opponent voting to support shortchanging our schools instead of fighting for our fair share? Where is her loyalty?”

With an overall state budget of $156 billion, Byrne questions why Russell did not make every attempt to secure a fair share of education aid like other school districts received or, at minimum, work to close the gap.

“As a local elected official and small-business owner, I’ve had to fight extremely hard to secure funding for local taxpayers and my customers. And that’s what I intend to do when I’m elected to the state Assembly.

“I’m not going to just be okay with what we’re given. I’m going to fight and be loud about deserving our fair share. If there’s one thing the State Capitol reacts to, it’s pressure and noise. We don’t have someone fighting for us and making noise to secure what’s ours right now. I’ve listened to parents and teachers about the struggles they’re facing. I have too much respect for this community to not fight for it.”

When asked to supply the reports confirming the disparity between New York City school districts and the 116th schools, Byrne’s spokesperson said the numbers were taken from the 2016 and 2014 school aid reports issued by the state.