By Andrew Hackmack
The Legislature could revisit the proposed cuts when it reconvenes in January.
The Central High School District would have been hit the hardest, as Paterson had proposed a reduction in aid of $1.68 million, or 10 percent. Superintendent Dr. Marc Bernstein called the prospect of midyear aid cuts "outrageous."
During the Legislature's brief session, the topic of state aid for schools was never broached. "They didn't even bring the cuts to the floor of the Senate or the Assembly," said Scott Cushing, legislative assistant to Assemblyman Tom Alfano (R-North Valley Stream). "The bill wasn't even submitted."
District 13 was set to lose $577,455, or nearly 6 percent of its aid. Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lison said she did not want to speculate on exactly how the district would have made up for the shortfall, but she did say she would look at non-instructional items first. "You certainly don't want to increase class size in January and have kids move to a different teacher," Lison said.
Bernstein said he was relieved that the state had not cut aid to the district, but he acknowledged that there are still tough times ahead. "The odds are that we are not going to see any additional state aid in 2009-10," he said, "and perhaps we will receive less dollars than we have in the current year."
Bernstein said the district must be mindful of its spending for the remainder of the school year. Upon learning of the governor's proposal, Bernstein issued a freeze on all non-essential purchases and on hiring for non-teaching positions. He said he would discuss these measures with the Board of Education at the Dec. 2 work session to see if trustees want to continue them.
Lison said her concerns extend beyond the current school year. "There's still the looming state deficit," she said, adding that she expects no increase in state aid for 2009-10. "My hope would be for flat [aid]," she said, "but my gut reaction is a reduction."
In District 24, the governor's plan called for a $375,730 reduction in state funding, or 7 percent. Superintendent Dr. Edward Fale breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday afternoon when he heard that the Legislature had taken no action. "I'm elated," he said. "Midyear cuts would have hurt the kids who need the most services."
Fale said that for a few days, he wasn't sure what to expect, especially with the state facing a $1.5 billion budget deficit. "I was worried," he said.
District 30 would have had its aid cut by almost $425,000, a 7.7 percent reduction. District officials traditionally plan for less aid than projected by the state, however. During last year's budget process, some board members expressed concern that the state's fiscal crisis could mean midyear aid cuts, and that almost became a reality.
Superintendent Dr. Elaine Kanas said that because of the district's practice of under-budgeting state aid - this year by about $900,000 - it would have been able to absorb a reduction without making any cuts. However, Kanas said, a midyear cut would have reduced the amount of money available for the district's various reserves, for capital projects, workers compensation and insurance costs.
Alfano called Tuesday's legislative decision not to act on the governor's proposal a win for schools, but said the fight is not over. "This special session sent a strong message to the governor that cuts to our schools and a tax increase to homeowners is the wrong choice for our community," he said. "The value of our homes is directly correlated to the quality of our schools. I can think of a lot of budget items that can be easily cut before we balance budgets on the backs of children."
Lison said that Paterson plans to unveil his proposed 2009-10 school budget by mid-December. While the news may not be good for school districts, she said, the early figures will help school district officials as they plan for their 2009-10 budgets.
Anthony Bottan contributed to this story. Comments about it? AHackmack@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
