New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled plans to cut funding for public schools in her latest budget proposal. The decision, which comes as a shock in the middle of an economic inequality crisis, has raised fears about the potential impact on students and the quality of education statewide.
The governor’s plan includes about $35 billion in total aid for state schools next year, an increase of $825 million, or a 2.4 percent increase. It is the largest investment in education in the state’s history. Yet, many districts are facing cuts out of nowhere. Hochul’s proposed budget increases funding for about two-thirds of Long Island districts, but more than 40 districts would face big cuts.
“The loss of $4.3 million in foundation aid in a single year is devastating for our district, particularly since the cut comes without warning or preparation,” Long Beach School District’s Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gallagher said. “No district can absorb that level of loss without cuts to programs, which ultimately affect our students. We will be working hard with our state representatives to urge them to seek a reprieve so that we can maintain our student programs, particularly as we continue to recover from the pandemic.”
In a letter sent home to families from Gallagher, she stayed transparent in how the proposed budget would effect the district. The cuts could potentially eliminate elementary Spanish, something extremely helpful for the high percentage of ESL students. Health and a second-grade swimming program could also be dissolved, something detrimental for the young kids who go to school just minutes away from the bay and ocean.
Hochul’s proposed budget would also force a reduction in some middle school and high school electives, including business, technology, art and music, athletic, and arts programs. Long Beach Public Schools have been recognized as one of the Best 100 Communities for Music Education in the nation for the past 6 years, and now the program is at risk.
One concerned educator at a public school within the Manhasset School District, on Long Island, was expressing her concerns about what will happen to developmentally delayed and special education students who may not be able to get the help that they need.
Manhasset, which is well-funded by the state, is taking a hard hit by these proposed cuts. The district is taking a loss of 14 teacher assistants, 3 librarian assistants, and many more vital faculty members. For students across the spectrum of disabilities, the imminent reduction in support staff threatens to strip away essential resources, leaving them without the assistance they need to thrive academically.
Coming from a young adult who struggled academically and was an Individualized Education Program (IEP) student my entire life, I relied heavily on this support. I remember the name of every resource room, speech therapist, and occupational therapist I had. I was gifted with the ability to learn like my peers and the teacher’s assistants who helped me allowed me to get the education I deserved.
These dedicated professionals provided not just academic support but served as lifelines, enabling students like them to access the education they rightfully deserved. By eliminating these roles, children who are like me will be set on a regents track without the aid they need to learn. From experience, teacher assistants were my lifeline, and the lifelines for all other IEP children.
Yet, with the proposed cuts looming, students with IEPs face the prospect of being thrust into mainstream classrooms without the necessary support structures in place. From kindergarteners to high school seniors and those enrolled in life skills programs, the path forward appears increasingly challenging.
The budget cuts extend deeper than teacher assistants. I relied heavily on my librarian assistants as well and they walked me through the research procedures I needed to complete to be able to provide adequate information needed for assignments. After discussing these budget cuts with a tenured teacher assistant from the Manhasset school district with seniority, she was appalled by these budget cuts. Not only is her team taking the hit from these budget cuts, but she is concerned for the wellbeing of the future of students.
If you are entitled to an IEP, you need the resources that a teacher assistant provides. Teacher assistants work as a team, working together to aid a variety of kids who are disabled. By eliminating essential team members, TAs are left vulnerable and in dire need of help.
It’s also important that Hochul is only cutting costs in the category of ‘helpers’ instead of in categories that are beneficial for students on an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate (IB) track. It almost seems like public school funding is only funneled into kids who are deemed to be academically gifted, rather than kids who are academically challenged.
As a response to these proposed cuts, teachers at Manhasset school district, and many other districts, will be picketing before school hours around drop-off time to bring awareness to these proposed cuts.