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| A message from our Superintendent |
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Dear Resident,
Our school district is in a severe financial bind. Over the last few years state aid has tanked! This is bad news because, as a less wealth district, approximately two-thirds of our annual budget comes from the state, whereas only one-third is derived from our district tax levy. As a result, the loss of state aid will not enable us to sustain our program. Two years ago our district was “saved” by the federal stimulus program. Last year, the federal jobs bill coupled with cuts in staff including an administrator, 5 teachers and 10 teacher aides enabled us to balance our annual budget.
For the upcoming 2012-13 school year, we project a gap of $1.3 million between revenue and budget.
There is no way of covering that gap by reasonable cuts. The non-mandated items that can be cut are the back bone of our program. They are items whose elimination will have a horrible detrimental effect on students, and parents alike. The list includes Kindergarten, extra-curricular activities, BOCES occupational education, AP courses, food service and possibly even closing a school. We no longer can skim the surface; we are now cutting bone and muscle.
There is an option to these cuts. We can begin a concerted campaign to notify our elected officials of our plight by urging them to create a more equitable method of distributing state aid so that poor districts like ours can continue to offer programs vital for our kids. If you care that we continue to offer the programs listed above-and I believe that you do-your district and its residents need your help.
Better yet, why not join our concerned citizens group. It is a group of over 40 active members and over 300 that are listed on Facebook, entitled “Unatego United”. Alternatively, contact one of the group leaders: Anne Winchester (pc.anne.winchester@gmail.com or (607) 988-9047, or Florian Reyda (floreyda@yahoo.com or (607) 353-2488.
We need letters to legislators and visits to their offices. A list of elected officials and their addresses follow. Can we count on you to help us in our effort to save our school? Our next meeting will be 7:00 p.m. January 4th in the high school auditorium. All residents are welcome!
On behalf of the Unatego United Committee and our Board of Education.
Sincerely,
Florian Reyda, Co-Chair
AnneWinchester, Co-Chair
Charles A. Molloy, Superintendent of Schools
In closing, we wish you all a very happy holiday season. May the peace of the season be with you all!!!!
Senator James L. Seward
41 South Main Street
Oneonta, NY 13820
Assemblyman, Peter Lopez
113 Park Place, Suite 6
Schoharie, NY 12157
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Senator John J. Flanagan
Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Education
Legislative Office Building, Room 805
Albany, NY 12247
Senator Dean G. Skelos, Majority Leader
Legislative Building, Room 909
Albany, NY 12247
Assemblyman Speaker, Sheldon Silver
LOB 932
Albany, NY 12248
Assemblywoman, Catherine Nolan
Chair, Committee on Education
LOB 836
Albany, NY 12248
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