SHERBURNE – Sherburne-Earlville Central Schools stand to lose the most state aid of the nine school districts in Chenango County – close to $1.6 million – if Governor Cuomo’s executive budget plans make it through the New York State Legislature.

The new governor is calling for $1.5 billion in aid cuts to schools as one of the measures necessary to eliminate a $10 billion deficit without borrowing or raising taxes.

Chenango County’s districts, in total, stand to lose nearly $7.3 million in aid.

Since the governor’s announcement Feb. 1, Sherburne-Earlville administrators have been trying to put his proposal in terms that people can embrace, said Assistant Superintendent Todd Griffin.

When considering what to possibly cut, Superintendent Gayle Hellert said the bottom line is about not hurting the kids.

The process will take the district through until state lawmakers vote on the budget in late spring. The district’s current school year budget is $28.9 million, the lion’s share of it state-funded. The budget relies on a $6.3 million levy. Its three building campus employs a staff of 350, including 185 teachers. There are approximately 1,450 students.

Budgets for the past three years were scrutinized and actual spending lined up with each year’s spending plans. In combing through the current year’s budget, Griffin said he was surprised to discover an increase of about $7,000 in state aid over 2009/2010. The excitement, however, quickly waned when it was determined that the amount was dedicated to funding loans for the school’s current $25.3 million multi-year capital building project.