School officials say classrooms could feel cuts
It's just the scenario that school officials dread -- budget cuts that threaten layoffs and classroom cuts in the middle of the school year.
That's what schools face following Gov. David A. Paterson's proposal Thursday to trim the state budget deficit by cutting $686 million in school aid for the rest of the school year.
"No matter the state's financial picture, looking to quickly erase New York's budget deficit by hurting children and schools is not sensible," said Timothy G. Kremer, executive director of the New York State School Boards Association. "When facing a proposed $686 million cut in aid, school boards have little recourse during the middle of a school year except to cut programs and lay off staff."
In Erie and Niagara counties, lost aid would range from $204,229 in North Collins to $10.5 million in Buffalo.
On a percentage basis, Buffalo would lose 2 percent of its anticipated aid, and Niagara Falls would lose 2.03 percent.
In contrast, five relatively affluent suburban districts -- Amherst, Clarence, East Aurora, Orchard Park and Williamsville -- would lose 9 percent of their previously budgeted assistance.
That's because Paterson tailored the aid cuts to do less harm -- at least on a percentage basis -- to poor urban and rural districts.
Paterson said the cuts are necessary to avoid the "severe consequences" of failing to address the state's budget crisis.
"This will mean hard and painful choices, but that is exactly the type of leadership New Yorkers deserve from their public officials," he said.
Even if the cuts are enacted, state school aid has increased 47 percent since 2003-04, Paterson added.
While the cuts drew opposition from school officials, Paterson's budget reduction plan was applauded by Kenneth Adams, president and chief executive officer of the Business Council of New York State.
"While the "spending lobby' will surely attack this plan with hysteria, Gov. Paterson is right to demand that New York end its culture of unsustainable taxing and spending," Adams said.
School officials said any cuts probably will result in a combination of drawing on reserve funds and making cuts that do the least harm to classroom instruction.
But the proposed aid cuts require approval from the State Legislature, and several school officials said they expect them to be rejected or scaled back.
"We don't think they will happen like this," said Mark P. Mondanaro, superintendent of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Schools.
At the same time, an attempt to impose mid-year cuts has been anticipated for months, and some districts built up their reserves in response.
"We planned for this," Mondanaro said. "We knew that maybe it was coming."
Thomas R. Maturski, the Williamsville schools' assistant superintendent for finance, expects some mid-year cuts but said it is unclear what form they will take.
"We really need to see how the whole picture turns out," he said. "We are in different times."
Buffalo school officials declined comment on how the loss of $10.5 million would be covered, but the district has a $34 million rainy day fund.
"It would be premature to talk specifics at this point," said Stefan Mychajliw, a district spokesman. "We're analyzing the potential impact."
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