Mayor de Blasio Announces Budget for Fiscal Year 2018

Mayor de Blasio and the City Council have announced an agreement on an $85.2 billion budget that adds money for programs including emergency food assistance and school gym classes.

The deal announced Friday will cover Fiscal Year 2018, which begins July 1. The mayor joined Council members at City Hall to shake hands on the agreement.

De Blasio said the budget is "aimed at addressing the economic realities of everyday New Yorkers."

It includes $105.5 million in capital funding to ensure that every public school has physical education facilities by 2021.

The budget significantly expands the number of schools offering free lunch for all students. The I-Team recently reported that kids from families over the current income cutoff were skipping meals so their parents wouldn't be charged.

Three out of four New York City public school students come from families with incomes so low they qualify for free lunch and get a balanced meal at school every day. But some teachers and parents tell the I-Team there are thousands more children enduring stomachaches and fatigue because their parents can’t afford their lunch bills. Melissa Russo reports.

The budget includes $7.2 million for emergency food assistance. That's an increase of 15 percent from last year.