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Mid-Year Education Budget Cuts

Level of Government: State

As your constituent, I am sending you this letter to express my opposition to the governor's proposed plan to cut education and health care spending in the current year by over $2 billion. Midyear cuts to public education would not only be painful, but extremely disruptive to our children's classrooms.

NYSUT is calling on you, our legislative leaders, to pursue constructive solutions to the budget crisis that would spare students and needy New Yorkers from harm. Our solutions must not focus on cutting, but rather they must focus on the revenue side of the equation. It is only right to ask the richest New Yorkers to pay their fair share. This makes far greater sense than compromising services for the most vulnerable New Yorkers.

Additionally, the proposal to slash $2 billion in spending does not take into consideration the potential of a federal stimulus package that could funnel billions of dollars in needed federal aid to New York in the near future. Furthermore, the state budget still holds over $1 billion in tax stabilization and rainy day funds designed for situations exactly like the one we are currently facing. Lastly, the Governor is cutting $2 billion when there is only a $1.5 billion estimated gap. The plan is to slash $500 million more than what is actually needed. Let's not act hastily and run the risk of some disastrous consequences in our schools.

In the 2007-08 school year, the Legislature was successful in enacting a new school aid formula, Foundation Aid, that provided school districts with stable and predictable state aid increases over a phase-in period. The predictable state aid increases allow districts to implement long-term plans that result in sustainable academic growth for students. A serious interruption of the formula will set us back in our shared goal of closing the achievement gap. The increased resources have already begun to produce dividends in increased student performance.

However, without the promised funding we will not be able to sustain our progress. In fact, new programs will either be targeted for elimination or local taxpayers will be asked to foot the bill, placing significant pressure on local property taxpayers at a time when state leaders are attempting to lessen the burden. NYSUT and our members are counting on you to stand strong and advocate for the sustainable funding necessary to continue closing the gap.

Mid-year cuts to education and health care are the wrong choice to help us out of this economic crisis. This is not the time to walk away from our commitments to the state's schoolchildren and our most vulnerable populations. It is through investment in education that New York state will strengthen its economic global competitiveness as well as enrich the cultural and economic life of all communities in the state. As my representative, I urge you to reject these cuts. I am confident that your leadership will guide us through this difficult time in the most fair and thoughtful way possible

Sincerely,

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