By Liz McBreen
"It is devastating. It is a disgrace what [Gov. George Pataki] is doing," said Dr. George Goldstein, superintendent of the Sewanhaka School District. The 11.8 percent proposed decrease in state aid would translate into a loss of $2 million for his district. "I have been a superintendent for 18 years, and I have never seen anything like this," he said.
With schools constantly struggling against the inevitable increases in their annual budgets and increased mandates being imposed by the state, many administrators feel that there is no other option but to pass the burden on to taxpayers.
Martin Kaye, president of the West Hempstead School Board, is also troubled by the numbers. His district may see a 14 percent loss in aid. Kaye said it is a blow to all Long Island school districts and makes it necessary for everyone to shoulder more of the responsibility. "This comes in addition to the recent property re-assessment, which will require some residents to pay 18 or 19 percent more in property taxes, and now school taxes will most likely go up as well," says Kaye.
Carol Eisenberg, superintendent of the West Hempstead School District, called the budget cuts "a disastrous situation." She went on to say, "as a district, we have to come together and look at programs, transportation and educational services, and begin to make cuts." The possible 14 percent decrease in aid for the West Hempstead district means that it will lose $788,000, according to Kaye.
Dr. Maria Palandra is the superintendent of the Elmont School District, one known for spending less per pupil every year than any other district in the county. "We count on the partnership between the state and the district every year, and now that is failing us," Palandra said. Elmont stands to lose 12 percent, or $1.7 million, in state aid next year. Palandra is also concerned about the effect on the community of the necessary tax increase that will voted on to cover the school budget.
Since there is no excess in the Elmont budget, it is one of the districts that stands to lose the most should the proposed cuts become a reality. "We will be forced to cut essential services," said Palandra. "It will be devastating."
The Franklin Square School District will also see a loss of 11.76 percent, or $640,000. Administrators are hoping that in the coming months, local representatives will be able to help school districts get some of their funding back. Kaye is planning to visit Albany with colleagues in March to sit down with legislative leaders. "They have to do something to offset this cut in funding," Kaye said.
The administrators are aware of the fiscal difficulty that was created on a state and federal level on Sept. 11, but they don't feel that cutting school aid is in the best interest of the state. "It is obvious that their priority is not the children," said Eisenberg.
Districts will soon begin finalizing their budgets and preparing them for public scrutiny. They will do so with these proposed cuts in mind. It is possible that the state will allocate more funding than the initial figures indicate, but the numbers may not be final until September, four months after residents will vote for or against their local school budgets.
