Legislation seeks to pump millions into LI schools

April 15, 2010 by JOIE TYRRELL / joie.tyrrell@newsday.com

As about 19,000 teachers and school support staff statewide face potential layoffs, federal officials are looking at ways to save jobs with legislation that could pump $235 million into Long Island schools.

But some public education officials wonder whether such a measure can be done in time as local districts are now readying budgets for adoption. District spending plans must be submitted to the state by April 24 and voted on by the public May 18.

"If we had our druthers, Congress would have passed the bill yesterday," said Carl Korn, spokesman for New York State United Teachers.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) announced legislation this week that would invest more than $235 million into Long Island schools to keep teachers in classrooms and hold the line on property taxes, she said.

Gov. David A. Paterson's budget proposes cutting more than $1.1 billion in state aid to schools.

Gillibrand is one of the original co-sponsors of the Keep Our Educators Working Act introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and of the Senate Appropriations panel that funds education initiatives.

"Layoffs of thousands of teachers will be an absolute disaster for our education system and our children," Gillibrand said Thursday.

She said she hopes the funding, introduced as an emergency spending bill, is in place by the fall.

The William Floyd school district is looking at cutting more than 150 positions.

"I don't know to what degree it is going to help," Superintendent Paul Casciano said of the federal bill. "But at this point, any help would be greatly welcome."

The Commack district is contemplating laying off more than 19 teacher positions because of enrollment decreases and losses in state aid.

"These cuts to education are causing teachers to lose their jobs, cause larger class sizes and reductions to student choice," said Laura A. Newman, assistant superintendent for business.

The Keep Our Educators Working Act would create a $23 billion education jobs fund. New York would receive about $1.4 billion with more than $81 million for Nassau and more than $154 million for Suffolk.

Some members of the New York delegation sent a letter to Senate leaders urging passage of the act, according to Rep. Steve Israel's office. In December, the House passed the Jobs for Main Street Act, which contains $23 billion for education-related jobs.

"Now we need the Senate to act before our schools are forced to make cuts and increase class sizes," said Israel (D-Huntington).