ROTTERDAM School district could face ‘drastic’ job cuts 13 teaching positions may be eliminated JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
The Mohonasen Central School District could trim the full-time equivalent of 22 jobs to help compensate for a $1.5 million shortfall in state aid, district officials said. The eliminated positions would include five full-time teachers at the middle school, four at Pinewood Elementary School, three at Bradt Elementary School and one at the high school. The proposed cuts would also trim two full-time administrative positions, two fulltime maintenance positions and upward of three teaching aides, among other part-time job cuts across the entire district. “Some of these we can afford to lose because of a decline in enrollment,” Superintendent Kathleen Spring said during a budget presentation Monday. “But at the high school, they will cause a significant increase in class size.” The district is projected to have 3,051 students next year, 104 fewer than this year and 304 fewer than five years ago. Mohonasen employs about 550 people. “This is drastic,” Spring said of the cuts. “This is what we’ll do if there isn’t a restoration of state aid.” Mohonasen administrators offered the cuts as the scenario that will likely result under the governor’s deficit reduction assessment, a one-time cut in aid based on need. They offered a second scenario that would restore most of the positions and include five additional jobs that would go toward establishing a fullday kindergarten at the school. Denise Swezey, assistant superintendent for business, said the district will receive about $600,000 of state aid for switching to a full-day kindergarten. The district would be able to fund the additional teaching positions for up to three years through the federal economic stimulus package, but the state aid wouldn’t come until the second year of the program. Spring said the full-day kindergarten would be based out of the Bradt School. Reductions in enrollment at the elementary school would provide the district with the space needed for the program. School board members will need to approve the creation of the fullday kindergarten program. Spring said the response from the community has been “overwhelmingly positive” in surveys and forums. If the program is approved, Mohonasen would join Scotia-Glenville, Schenectady and Duanesburg among the county districts offering full-day kindergarten. The neighboring Schalmont district in Rotterdam is also contemplating the switch. Longtime board member Nancy del Prado said..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01002
I e-mailed Justin about this earlier today, as far as these cuts.
His response is that there may not be any cuts after all...
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As for Mohon's bizarre 'teacher cuts,' I'd say they're probably hoping to cut no one at all. It's all reliant on the state budget. They've got two administration positions that won't be filled and a bunch of support positions that may be cut. The full-day kindergarten would allow them to restore five elementary school positions under the auspices that they would be entirely funded through state grants. The first year, they'd pay for it with the fund balance, and then get re-reimbursed the second year. Year three would also be funded through the state. After that, it's back into the budget.
In other words, your school taxes won't go up...as long as your state taxes do.
hey we need to get the richest ones to start to pay for some things for once over here
All I have to ask is how much more than the bill that you were sent did you send in to the school? Are you one of the rich??? Or are you one of the ones that are being held back?
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