With the city’s public schools bracing for a lean year, Bronx City Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo has set aside thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds for education — of kids in Catholic schools.
Funding from Arroyo for music programs at St. Anselm and St. Athanasius schools in her district was buried among the six pages of council “member items” for the city’s public school system late last month.
The money, $4,000 in taxpayer funds, was earmarked for the Education Through Music non-profit group to work with more than 600 kids at the two Longwood schools — even though the state Constitution prohibits the public funding of parochial schools.
It wasn’t until inquiries from The Post about the allocation that the Department of Education nixed Arroyo’s arrangement.
“We can’t enter into a contract to provide money to parochial schools in this manner,” said DOE spokeswoman Ann Forte. “Our understanding is that the [City] Council is going to correct this.”
Arroyo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.