ELMIRA, N.Y.(WENY)-- 'Fund our future ' is the theme of a teacher driven bus tour traveling throughout New York State right now. The New York State Untied teachers Union visited Diven Elementary early Thursday morning to meet with area teachers and to hear about why their schools desperately need more state funding.

"The highest court in the State many years ago said that foundation aid needed to be fully funded, and schools are still waiting for that money years and years later. So this money is  owed to these schools, and were asking that the state finally pay what they are owed," Jolene DiBrango, Executive Vice President of the New York State United Teachers. 

WENY spoke with some of the teachers who attended the roundtable, who say we're happy to have their voices heard when it comes to their schools and the kids they educate. 

"To have people who make decisions actually in our building, visiting our classrooms, talking to people who are teaching, who are administrative in schools and listening to what we believe we need versus what people who make the laws think we need  was so important," said Tonia Billbe, 2nd grade teacher at Diven Elementary School. 

Diven elementary was just one of the many stops the union will be making on this bus trip because they want to make New York state teachers voices heard. 

"We're hoping to raise awareness in all of these communities so  that they can put pressure on their legislatures and eventually the governors to way we've waited long enough," DiBrango tells WENY News. 

The teachers at Diven and surrounding schools say they are getting by, but they need a lot more help.

"Right now, we are doing everything we can, but we need a lot more help to do that with some quality support staff," says Billbe.

"Educators and administrators noted that the Elmira City School District is owed $12.5 million in Foundation Aid. They say full funding would go a long way toward addressing students’ social-emotional needs, providing after-school programming and continuing the district’s 1:1 device program, which allows students to access laptops necessary for 21st Century lessons. NYSUT is calling for a $2.1 billion increase in state aid in the 2020-21 state budget, which includes the first installment of a three-year phase-in of the more than $3.4 billion in Foundation Aid owed to more than 400 school districts around New York." says NYSUT.