Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo announced on Mar. 23 his appointment as an Alternate to the New York State Legislative Joint Budget Conference Committee on Higher Education for the 2026 to 2027 state budget. The appointment was made by Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra.
The role is significant because it places Pirozzolo in a position to influence funding and policy decisions affecting colleges and universities across the state. During a recent meeting, Pirozzolo highlighted the positive impact of targeted investment in higher education, using Staten Island’s College of Staten Island as an example.
“On Staten Island, in my district, we have the College of Staten Island, and recently they were given a $7.5 million donation from the Jay and Lucille Chazanoff Foundation. That donation has allowed us to earn an AACSB international accreditation, which applies to less than 6% of business schools globally,” Pirozzolo said.
He continued: “I’m just using that as an example of what investing in our CUNY systems and our SUNY systems and all of our higher education schools can do when the proper investments are made.”
Pirozzolo concluded by warning about workforce trends that could bypass traditional college pathways: “There is one threat that I do see, and it’s the fact that many employers are looking to grab their students directly from high school and have them skip the higher education process altogether. I know that our colleges have been working more in trade education, but I think that is something that we need to keep at the forefront of this conversation,” he added. “If we don’t give these students the trade skills that they desire, they will get them somewhere else, and that will leave us flat.”
Pirozzolo has advocated for educational improvements such as a gifted and talented program for middle school students according to his official website. He is a member of the Republican party according to his official website, with priorities including backing law enforcement, reforming bail and parole systems, promoting small business growth according to his official website, representing parts of Richmond County according to his official website, contributing efforts toward returning over $4 billion through litigation back into New York public schools according to his official website, while serving as part of state government in the New York Assembly according to his official website.
Observers may watch how Pirozzolo’s participation influences future investments in both academic programs and vocational training across New York.
