Guv: LI schools should have funding restored At Holtsville school, Paterson says his budget uses stimulus cash to cover education costs BY KEITH HERBERT
keith.herbert@newsday.com
12:52 PM EST, February 27, 2009
Long Island's school districts could avoid more than $150 million in cuts to education thanks to an infusion of economic stimulus cash, the governor said Friday.
During a visit to Sequoya Middle School in Holtsville, New York Gov. David A. Paterson announced that the federal money would allow him to restore state education funding to 2008-09 levels.
Citing the economic downturn, Paterson had proposed reducing state aid to local school districts. The cuts in next year's budget would have cost Nassau County schools $60 million and Suffolk County schools $96 million.
"Every cut we made to school districts in this budget we will restore," Paterson said.
The infusion of money would allow most school systems to avoid program cuts, significant layoffs and big property tax increases.
The Sachem school district alone stood to lose $7.2 million.
Paterson praised Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton)for helping free up $2.48 billion in federal aid for education across the state over the next two years.
Stimulus will help stabilize LI school finances BY KEITH HERBERT AND JOHN HILDEBRAND
February 28, 2009
Long Island's school districts will avoid more than $150 million in proposed state cuts to education thanks to an infusion of federal stimulus cash, Gov. David A. Paterson said Friday.
But local politicians and educational leaders said the governor's announcement, while welcome, did not spell an automatic end to schools' looming financial troubles.
School costs, especially contractual pay, continue rising on the Island. Thus, these leaders say, the governor's restoration of education funds still leaves open the question of how to cover next year's increased expenses.
"We're not out of the woods at all," said Thomas Shea, superintendent of South Huntington schools and president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association.
During a visit Friday to Sequoya Middle School in Holtsville, Paterson announced that the federal money would allow him to restore state education funding to 2008-09 levels.
Facing a $14 billion budget deficit, Paterson had proposed reducing state aid - $60 million to Nassau County schools and $96 million to Suffolk schools.
"Every cut we made to school districts in this budget we will restore," Paterson said.
He praised Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), who sits on the House Education and Labor Committee, for helping free up $2.48 billion in federal aid for education across the state over the next two years.
"We are not going to allow teachers to lose their jobs, we're not going to allow dreams to be shattered," Bishop said.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes a state Fiscal Stabilization Fund that provides $53.6 billion to states to reduce budget shortfalls. Of that money, $39.5 billion will go to "restore state support" to K-12 and public higher education programs to 2008-09 levels, Bishop said.
Paterson said $1.25 billion will be put in his executive budget for 2009-10 and again in 2010-11. The budget must be approved by state lawmakers.
The federal package allots another $10 billion specifically for school programs in remedial tutoring and special education.
Restoration of aid cuts would mean $2.25 million in extra revenue for South Huntington next year. But Shea estimated his district faced $7.1 million in spending increases next year, just to cover set costs.
Republican legislators noted it was Bishop and other members of Congress who approved a federal stimulus package that specifically requires states to maintain current financial support of schools.
"It's not like some magnanimous gesture on his [Paterson's] part," said state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), ranking GOP member of the Senate's education committee.
GOOD NEWS FOR DISTRICTS
Here are the 10 Long Island school districts that would see the biggest restorations of state financial aid, as percentages of their total budgets.
DISTRICT: COMSEWOGUE
Amount of state aid to be restored: $2,443,616
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -8.83
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -3.3
DISTRICT: EAST ISLIP
Amount of state aid to be restored: $3,131,682
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -9.96
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -3.22
DISTRICT: EAST MORICHES
Amount of state aid to be restored: $632,903
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -12.63
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -2.71
DISTRICT: ISLIP
Amount of state aid to be restored: $2,042,988
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -11.52
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -3.17
DISTRICT: MIDDLE COUNTRY
Amount of state aid to be restored: $5,575,823
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -7.35
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -2.88
DISTRICT: MOUNT SINAI
Amount of state aid to be restored: $1,626,859
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -10.63
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -3.08
DISTRICT: NORTH BABYLON
Amount of state aid to be restored: $2,906,023
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -7.59
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -2.75
DISTRICT: PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD
Amount of state aid to be restored: $5,126,361
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -9.31
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -3.32
DISTRICT: SOUTH COUNTRY
Amount of state aid to be restored: $3,145,474
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -7.59
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -3.08
DISTRICT: WEST BABYLON
Amount of state aid to be restored: $2,498,198
% of '08-09 state aid that would have been cut: -8.73
% of '08-09 budget that would have been cut: -2.78
