City schools brace for cuts Capital Region urban districts anticipate plenty of pain if state aid drops dramatically
By SCOTT WALDMAN, Staff writer First published in print: Wednesday, November 5, 2008
........http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=736307&category=SCHENECTADY Urban districts have higher numbers of special-needs students and are mandated to provide expensive programs that cannot be cut, Schenectady Superintendent Eric Ely said. He said the state budget trimming comes at a time when struggling schools are trying to reduce class sizes, a costly move that is also seen as an important step to closing the achievement gap.
The district will be trimming costs wherever possible to avoid passing the burden on to taxpayers, Ely said. "If they continue with these budget cuts," Ely said, "it's going to be devastating to an urban population that's struggling already."
Scott Waldman can be reached at 454-5080 or by e-mail at swaldman@timesunion.com.
SCHENECTADY Schools chief reiterates job loss danger BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
As many as 150 jobs may be at risk in the Schenectady City School District if the governor’s proposed aid cuts are approved, the school superintendent said. Superintendent Eric Ely previously said over one hundred jobs were at risk, but presented some revised budget projections to the Board of Education on Wednesday. Gov. David Paterson is proposing to reduce the amount of aid the district would receive by $3.2 million. Ely said the cost for the district’s programs are already going up 7.6 percent, or $11.7 million. Since about 70 percent of the $154 million budget is made up of personnel, Ely said positions are the logical place to cut. “This governor’s budget has hit the urban schools a lot harder than it has in the other districts,” he said. Ely said all kinds of programs are at risk, including athletics, fine arts and the International Baccalaureate program. “We have to provide the basics first and then everything else has to follow from that,” he said. The board on Wednesday heard some preliminary ideas on changing its insurance program to save money. Among some of the options are to switch the district’s retirees from a self-funded insurance plan to a Medicare advantage plan. As much as $3.2 million could be saved if all 400 retirees 65 and older switched. Another suggestion was for the district to purchase prescription drugs from Canada, similar to what Schenectady County is doing for its employees. This could save $165,000. Also on Wednesday, Ely informed the board that..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01302
SCHENECTADY Budget proposal slashes staff, programs BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
A third of the athletics department, the strings program and 167 teachers and staff could all be lost under the Schenectady City School District’s proposed 2009-10 budget. Superintendent Eric Ely gave a grim presentation to the Board of Education on Wednesday. “I am begging you not to do these things. Find a way — for the kids,” he said. Aid to the district in the state budget currently being discussed in Albany would remain flat. Maintaining existing programs would cost the district $11.7 million more than this year’s budget of $154 million. Ely’s proposed 2009-10 budget reduces the increase to $4.05 million, but even with the staff cuts and the smaller increase the budget still calls for a 10.2 percent tax increase. Quoting Revolutionary War pamphleteer Thomas Paine, Ely said it is the “times that try men’s souls” and said these cuts would roll back the progress the district has made in reducing class size, offering remedial instruction and reducing negative student behavior. Ely proposes to cut 14 elementary teachers and 20 secondary teachers, as well as five administrators and 30 paraprofessionals. He also would eliminate two middle school dean positions, one attendance dean and four school climate office positions, and he would leave a technology position vacant. Ely proposes to eliminate all modified sports and close the pool and aquatics program. He would eliminate the elementary library program and high school family and consumer science programs. Board President Jeff Janiszewski said the presentation was “very sobering,” but predicted getting dozens of calls from residents saying the cuts are not deep enough. Greta Obach, who has a special needs child in eighth grade, said playing music has improved his social skills tremendously. “These are things you cannot get through math, science, English, history. These are only things you can get through being part of a group.” Janiszewski said he did not want to cut arts funding. “Arts is not frill. I consider it core curriculum. The benefit to students involved in the arts has been shown over and over again,” he said. Board member Lisa Russo said eliminating a strings program would be a tremendous setback, especially since the district has received a national award for its commitment to arts education. There are some unknown variables in the budget. Ely said the district is waiting for final numbers on how much it will receive in special education and federal stimulus aid. It also wants to see if the state relaxes rules regarding how the district can spend Contract for Excellence money it receives as a district with high poverty and needs. Also, Ely did not include any use of the district’s $6 million fund balance, or surplus, in his draft budget. The board directed Ely to ............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00900
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