Cuomo again points to school reserve funds

ALBANY -- After softening proposed school-aid cuts, the Cuomo administration says that 89 percent of Long Island school districts have more than enough money in reserve funds to offset reductions ordered by the recently enacted state budget.

Trying to counteract claims that teacher layoffs and property-tax hikes are looming, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo tried to keep the pressure on school districts by urging them to use "rainy day" funds to avoid firing staff.

"They are 'rainy day' funds. News flash: It's raining," Cuomo said at a Capitol news conference. "Double news flash: It's pouring. Use the reserve funds."

The first-year governor added that schools looking at letting go of teachers are "looking at the wrong place." He said that while statewide enrollment decreased over the last five years, teachers grew 9 percent and "supervisors" 30 percent.

"How do you explain those numbers?" Cuomo said. In response to a question about schools saying they are bracing for layoffs, especially in New York City, the governor said: "That's a premise you are assuming because you are responding to what I believe is propaganda during the budget debate."

But several education groups disputed the governor's math. They said he was lumping positions such as librarians, guidance counselors and psychologists in as "supervisors." They said that the expansion of kindergarten programs and increased safety and auditing responsibilities also explained staff growth.

And they questioned Cuomo's judgment about using reserve funds to balance cuts.

"There is no district that is going to drain its reserves to zero," said Dave Albert, communications director for the New York State School Boards Association. "I think that's where the logic doesn't compute."

Earlier this year, Cuomo proposed cutting school spending $1.5 billion, noting that state education spending had grown about 50 percent since 2001-02. At the time, he said four in five Island schools had enough in reserve funds and unused federal funds to offset the proposed reductions.

After negotiations, Cuomo and the State Legislature agreed on an overall budget that trimmed school aid $1.3 billion, or about 6 percent. Now, statistics compiled by the Cuomo administration and obtained by Newsday show that all but 14 of the Island's 126 school districts could cover the reductions -- if they tap reserves.