OPINION: Preparing school budgets is a painful process
Edward Langone is a trustee in the Lindenhurst Union Free School District.
As a school board trustee, my job is to provide the best possible education for the 7,500 students in my district, at the lowest possible cost, and ask the public to vote on this budget on May 18.
By law, school districts in New York must adopt a budget for public vote by April 24. The state has to adopt a budget by April 1. But the State Legislature, three weeks past this deadline, isn't even close to passing a budget. And the failure of state government to adopt an on-time budget means that school districts must estimate the amount of aid they will receive - rendering any decision on projected tax-rate increases a best guess.
That's not fair to taxpayers, and it's certainly hurtful to students and teachers.
Our district, Lindenhurst, held budget workshops last month at which we felt we had to cut more than $4 million - wide-ranging cuts that would have an impact on almost every area of student interaction. We had to slash summer school, seventh- and ninth-grade sports, advanced art and computer classes, and our gifted-student program. We also had to curtail remedial academic programs and student clubs.
These cuts are painful, and it was a very difficult process.
We amended the March budget workshop figures this week, ultimately adopting our on-time budget Wednesday evening, at an emotionally charged meeting. We were able to successfully restore some programs, including some sports, clubs, music and a modified version of our gifted-student program.
But we were forced to reach these decisions without any final state aid numbers. That leaves us powerless to modify our budget should the state actually pass a budget before the public gets to vote in May. After our April 24 deadline, we can't add expenditures back to restore cuts, even if state aid comes through.
To reach our budget increase of 0.49 percent and a proposed tax levy increase of 3.87 percent, we have depleted a significant portion of our reserves, have had three labor unions accept wage freezes, and have cut virtually every budget line item across the board. We have asked for, but not yet received, any fiscal relief from our largest union - which means we have to cut 40 teachers, even though we restored some programs.
We lost more than $3.5 million in state aid for the current school year. These cuts in aid from the state are truly reprehensible. Cuts to any other state program or budget line - including health care, wages, benefits and the like - have a temporary effect. Budgets can get restored, workers make up their wage freezes in a better economy, investments return. There is no long-term effect. Contributions to the teachers and employees retirement system could be frozen this year, for instance, and over time, that freeze would be insignificant.
But education aid cuts have a permanent effect. For every student that is not offered an elective, we have a less well-rounded future adult. For every child not offered the chance to play an instrument, our future cultural diversity is diminished. For every middle schooler and high school freshman denied the chance to play a sport, there's a chance that student will fall through the cracks, turn to the streets and eventually even drop out.
For every educator laid off, we lose a critical, caring person who has chosen to make his or her life's work the development of our children. With many districts laying off staff, these professionals will struggle to find work in this field again. Some won't, and we will lose their valuable expertise and desire to teach.
Our kids will never have the chance to recover from these cuts. As taxpayers, and caretakers for our children's future, we have to make our anger crystal clear to our lawmakers in Albany. These types of cuts cannot and will not be tolerated.
If the state needs to cut spending, and it must, it should look elsewhere than education. Don't make changes that will permanently, negatively affect our future and that of our children.
