Federal funds funneled to local school district

The fluctuating economy took school district funding on a roller coaster ride this year. Now, nearly four months after school budgets were approved, the ride is still going — but this time it’s on an incline.

The Malverne and West Hempstead school districts, along with others throughout the state, received a boost in their state aid last week as a result of a federal initiative to stave off teacher layoffs. Of the $607 million the state received in federal funds, Malverne schools got an additional $303,692 and West Hempstead schools an extra $403,072, to be used solely for educator salaries and hiring purposes.

“Any money that comes to New York state to support education is a great thing,” said West Hempstead Deputy Superintendent Richard Cunningham, adding that he and the Board of Education will soon decide how best to spend the extra funds.

Similarly, Malverne Business Administrator Tom McDaid said the district is thrilled to have the additional funding, but that plans for its use are still up in the air.

Both districts sustained significant cuts in their state aid when the Senate passed the state budget earlier this summer: aid decreased by 4.06 percent in West Hempstead and by 1.17 percent in Malverne. They could see further cuts this year, pending the passage of Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to pull another 1 percent from education funds for Medicaid.

“It makes operating difficult,” Cunningham said of the looming threat. “We need to make difficult decisions while maintaining the quality of education.”

The additional funding, Cunningham said, will be considered for various uses, including maintaining jobs and evaluation of the staffing need for Academic Intervention Services in the wake of this year’s disappointing English Language Arts and math assessment results. Malverne will likely use the funds to retain existing staff, according to McDaid.