HCS Faces 13.5% State Aid Cut

RFH 2010, Featured Articles, News

Wed, Jan 20, 2010

First the bad news: HCS could lose 13.5 percent of its state aid -- a total of $538,302 -- if the state budget Gov. David Paterson proposed Tuesday is eventually approved by the legislature.

And, there is no good news.

Once again, HCS finds itself trying to find ways to cut its budget in response to fiscal problems in Albany. HCS Superintendent Dr. Diana Bowers discussed the proposed cuts at Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting. The cut was proposed earlier in the day as the governor announced his $134 billion budget for fiscal 2010-2011.

Paterson said the cuts are necessary to help reduce the $7.4 billion deficit facing New York State. The spending plan cuts overall aid to education by 5 percent, reportedly the largest such cut in more than 20 years.

Bowers said she and the board are just beginning budget discussions, but she expects there will 13.5 percent cuts in all of the district's various budgets.

The public will have the opportunity to join the discussion on the state aid cuts and the HCS budget at two coffees this month:

+ Monday at 9:30 a.m. in the school auditorium;

+ Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

Also on Tuesday, the board held a special meeting to discuss the impact of the proposed cuts on the district's athletic program.