Schools unsure what to do with Education Jobs Bill money
CHENANGO COUNTY – On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, which will provide $26 billion in additional aid to municipalities. Included in the bill is $10 billion to “stem the tide of teacher layoffs,” according to Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), who supported the legislation.
How will local schools benefit from the $607 million in federal funds coming to New York as a result of the newly enacted education jobs bill? Not even district administrators know for sure.
“Right now we don’t have solid figures,” said Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton Superintendent Glenn Hamilton. The only numbers he and other local districts have received so far are estimates provided by Schumer’s office, prepared with the help of the New York State United Teachers. The state legislature will need to return to Albany – which some say may happen as early as next week – to determine how the funds will be allocated.
State leaders will also need to decide how districts will be able to make use of the funds.
“At this time, we have not been given enough guidance about this money to determine how it can be spent,” reported Afton Superintendent Betty Briggs. “We really need to have the specifics of the bill as soon as possible to know how the money can help our district.”
Based on unofficial numbers provided by Schumer’s office, Briggs said Afton could be in line for approximately $204,822, almost enough to support 4 full-time positions. The district doesn’t have that many positions to reinstate, however.
“We only cut one position this year,” Briggs reported, explaining that the district chose to dip into its fund balance to avoid more drastic cuts to personnel and programs.
Other local superintendents have also expressed reservations.
“We are appreciative of Senator Schumer’s efforts and those of our legislators to secure additional funding. If funds come through it will be a welcomed addition, but (it) does not offer a long term funding solution,” said Greene Superintendent Jonathan Retz.
Nor are the funds likely to translate into reversing staff cuts in the district, according to Retz.
“We did reduce staff in almost all areas last year, but tried to do so through attrition where possible,” he reported, adding that the district’s declining enrollment was also a factor in the decision making process. “As such, I do not anticipate reinstating many, if any, reduced positions.”
At G-MU, Hamilton said he isn’t looking to reinstate the four positions he was forced to cut last year, either.
“Staffing decisions and classes have already been made,” he reported.
Ideally, the superintendent said he would like to use the money to provide academic intervention services (AIS) to students affected by the last-minute change in cut scores for the state math and English assessments, he explained. While the district isn’t required to provide these services to kids who would have scored a 3 on the exam prior to the state raising the bar, they would like to be able to do so to ensure those students are able to meet the higher standard in the future.
According to Hamilton, the timing of the federal assistance could have been better.
“I wish it came next year,” he said, when his district will be facing the “funding cliff” caused by the expiring of the federal stimulus money which has helped keep his and other districts afloat for the last two years as Albany has cut state aid.
The timing is also of concern for Bainbridge-Guilford Superintendent Karl Brown.
“It is good that there is recognition of the financial difficulties faced by school districts. But I am concerned that a lot of districts had to make hard decisions prior to their budget votes and that the time for this sort of initiative was much earlier,” said Brown.
In Norwich, Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan has questions about when districts will receive their share of the federal funds.
Preliminary estimates suggest the Norwich City School District could receive approximately $540,000, the most of any district in Chenango County. O’Sullivan said he has heard rumors that the allocations will be made as early as mid-September, or as late as October or November.
The question he says he and other school administrators are asking is, “How and when do we bring on staff and how do we pay them until the money arrives?”
Oxford Superintendent Randy Squier said he plans to wait for more information before making any moves, particularly because rumors are also circulating about the possibility of mid-year cuts.
“The uncertainty in Albany as evidenced by delayed aid payments to our local schools causes me to be very cautious in how we plan to allocate this federal aid,” he reported.
Sidebar
Afton $204,822
Bainbridge-Guilford $359,927
Gilbertsville-Mount Upton $117,336
Greene $313,475
Norwich $537,610
Otselic Valley $128,563
Oxford Academy $243,233
Sherburne-Earlville $395,104
Unadilla Valley $287,391
Unofficial estimates, provided by the office of Senator Charles Schumer
How will local schools benefit from the $607 million in federal funds coming to New York as a result of the newly enacted education jobs bill? Not even district administrators know for sure.
“Right now we don’t have solid figures,” said Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton Superintendent Glenn Hamilton. The only numbers he and other local districts have received so far are estimates provided by Schumer’s office, prepared with the help of the New York State United Teachers. The state legislature will need to return to Albany – which some say may happen as early as next week – to determine how the funds will be allocated.
State leaders will also need to decide how districts will be able to make use of the funds.
“At this time, we have not been given enough guidance about this money to determine how it can be spent,” reported Afton Superintendent Betty Briggs. “We really need to have the specifics of the bill as soon as possible to know how the money can help our district.”
Based on unofficial numbers provided by Schumer’s office, Briggs said Afton could be in line for approximately $204,822, almost enough to support 4 full-time positions. The district doesn’t have that many positions to reinstate, however.
“We only cut one position this year,” Briggs reported, explaining that the district chose to dip into its fund balance to avoid more drastic cuts to personnel and programs.
Other local superintendents have also expressed reservations.
“We are appreciative of Senator Schumer’s efforts and those of our legislators to secure additional funding. If funds come through it will be a welcomed addition, but (it) does not offer a long term funding solution,” said Greene Superintendent Jonathan Retz.
Nor are the funds likely to translate into reversing staff cuts in the district, according to Retz.
“We did reduce staff in almost all areas last year, but tried to do so through attrition where possible,” he reported, adding that the district’s declining enrollment was also a factor in the decision making process. “As such, I do not anticipate reinstating many, if any, reduced positions.”
At G-MU, Hamilton said he isn’t looking to reinstate the four positions he was forced to cut last year, either.
“Staffing decisions and classes have already been made,” he reported.
Ideally, the superintendent said he would like to use the money to provide academic intervention services (AIS) to students affected by the last-minute change in cut scores for the state math and English assessments, he explained. While the district isn’t required to provide these services to kids who would have scored a 3 on the exam prior to the state raising the bar, they would like to be able to do so to ensure those students are able to meet the higher standard in the future.
According to Hamilton, the timing of the federal assistance could have been better.
“I wish it came next year,” he said, when his district will be facing the “funding cliff” caused by the expiring of the federal stimulus money which has helped keep his and other districts afloat for the last two years as Albany has cut state aid.
The timing is also of concern for Bainbridge-Guilford Superintendent Karl Brown.
“It is good that there is recognition of the financial difficulties faced by school districts. But I am concerned that a lot of districts had to make hard decisions prior to their budget votes and that the time for this sort of initiative was much earlier,” said Brown.
In Norwich, Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan has questions about when districts will receive their share of the federal funds.
Preliminary estimates suggest the Norwich City School District could receive approximately $540,000, the most of any district in Chenango County. O’Sullivan said he has heard rumors that the allocations will be made as early as mid-September, or as late as October or November.
The question he says he and other school administrators are asking is, “How and when do we bring on staff and how do we pay them until the money arrives?”
Oxford Superintendent Randy Squier said he plans to wait for more information before making any moves, particularly because rumors are also circulating about the possibility of mid-year cuts.
“The uncertainty in Albany as evidenced by delayed aid payments to our local schools causes me to be very cautious in how we plan to allocate this federal aid,” he reported.
Sidebar
Afton $204,822
Bainbridge-Guilford $359,927
Gilbertsville-Mount Upton $117,336
Greene $313,475
Norwich $537,610
Otselic Valley $128,563
Oxford Academy $243,233
Sherburne-Earlville $395,104
Unadilla Valley $287,391
Unofficial estimates, provided by the office of Senator Charles Schumer
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks