Advocates Say Governor's Education Cuts Will Bleed City Schools Dry
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School advocates say the governor's proposed state education budgets will make every city classroom feel the pinch. NY1's Education reporter Lindsey Christ filed the following report.Governor David Paterson is giving city schools a tough math problem to consider: if you take away $223 million from schools that already have had their budgets slashed, what is the result?
Principals and education advocates say the answer is that every classroom will feel the pinch.
"There isn't really any fat left," said Principal Brian Leavy-DeVale of P.S. 257. "I am down to one school aide. Our after-school programs aren't what they used to be and many of them are grant-funded. So there really isn't a lot left to play with, and it may mean losing a teacher or two."
The proposed cuts come at a time when schools are still reeling from more than $300 million in reductions at the start of the school year and $100 million of cuts made in the middle of the last school year.
"We already have increased classroom sizes starting in September. And with this right now, we have no money for general supplies," said P.S. 257 Assistant Principal Melvin Martinez.
Schools were supposed to have had more money than ever because of a court ruling that the state had underfunded city schools for more than a decade. However, much of the extra money has yet to materialize because of the budget crises.
"That would have been $5.5 billion to New York City. That's not happening," said Geri Palast of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. "We are very concerned that in a time when we know there are tough times and the economy is down, but the thing that would really drive this economy back to health is really arming our children with the ability to bring our country back."
The teachers' union says the governor's proposal is unacceptable.
"If we take that much out of education right now, we will not be able to protect the classroom. There will be pain inside of every classroom in New York City," said United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.
So far, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has offered the governor words of understanding. Bloomberg released a statement Thursday, saying, “I commend the Governor for trying to treat everyone fairly with evenly distributed cuts."
Yet schools like P.S. 257 say that those cuts will mean less teachers, arts, and after-school activities and more deprived students.