Niskayuna participated in a
first-of-its-kind forum on Oct. 18 that
brought the stories of five districts
dealing with the school funding losses
of recent years to an audience that
packed a South Colonie middle school
auditorium.
The unique event entitled: “Reinvest in
New York’s Public School Children,”
demonstrated that regardless of the
makeup of a school district – urban,
suburban or rural setting – the tough
decisions and lost opportunities that
come with years of reduced funding are
significant. Held in partnership with
the Educate NY Now! advocacy
organization, the forum drew more than
400 parents, teachers, students and
administrators from South Colonie,
Schenectady, Niskayuna, Schoharie and
Cobleskill-Richmondville schools.
Panelists, including a student, parents,
a teacher, Board of Education members,
superintendents and other school
leaders, portrayed a perfect storm of
challenges that have affected programs
and opportunities for students across
their district and beyond. The
challenges include the Gap Elimination
Adjustment, or GEA – the mechanism that
state legislators have used to reduce
school funding; the tax levy cap; and
increasing costs tied to mandated have
affected students everywhere.
The impact will only deepen if these
issues are not addressed, panelists
said. So, the purpose of the forum was
to raise awareness among community
members and legislators about the issues
at stake – and to translate that into
action.
Click here to see current year state-aid
losses and other profile information for
each of the districts.
School leaders from each district
described how they worked to avoid
reducing programs and opportunities for
students to the greatest extent
possible. This is more difficult to do
with each passing year, they said.
Depending upon the district,
participants said that early childhood
education, athletic and extracurricular
opportunities, class sizes, academic
intervention, and advanced and
enrichment programming have been reduced
or are at risk.
Niskayuna was represented by Board of
Education President Deborah Oriola,
Superintendent Susan Kay Salvaggio, and
Assistant Superintendent for Business
Matt Bourgeois. The district lost more
than $3.35 million this year and more
than $9.9 million over the last three
years combined due to the state’s Gap
Elimination Adjustment., or GEA.
Oriola, Salvaggio, and Bougeois talked
about many of the steps they have taken
to control costs and become more
efficient. Like others, they noted that
once these measures are exhausted,
districts are forced to weigh reductions
that have a more direct impact on
students.
“My gut fear is a decline in the quality
of the education being offered to the
children of our state,” Oriola said.
“That our schools will barely be able to
offer the program mandated by the state
if we continue on the current path.”
Oriola spoke about the programs and
opportunities that she and her friends
and neighbors work hard to provide to
the community’s children – and the pride
they take in doing so. She said she is
often struck by the rigor and complexity
of what her children and their
classmates learn, accomplish, and
experience. She noted that to this
point, Niskayuna has not had to weigh
the kinds of reductions that other
districts have been forced to make in
areas such co-curricular and athletic
activities, arts and music, and
electives.
“When I spend time with my friends and
neighbors in my community and even in
other communities in surrounding areas
and when I listen to district parents
speak at our Board meetings about their
young children, I really fear that the
education experience they receive, and
the quality of the education they my get
will be much less than the experience of
my own children and the children who
have been educated up to this time,”
Oriola said. “They will have fewer
opportunities and they may be less
prepared.”
Salvaggio also talked about the immense
value that the Niskayuna community
places on educational quality and the
depth and breadth of opportunities
available to students. Yet,
state-mandated costs are squeezing those
programs and experiences that are a
hallmark of the district. She cited
pension costs in particular as an
example of the district having no
control over a key driver of expenses
and tough choices about taxes and
program offerings.
Relief from pension contributions and
other mandates would require action at
the state level. Salvaggio and other
panelists emphasized the importance of
legislators hearing from their
constituents on issues that are
important to the people they represent.
“Make personal contact with your elected
officials by phone, by letter – so it
counts,” Salvaggio said. “And speak your
piece about how important public
education is to the Capital Region.”
Contact your elected officials
[PDF]
Endorse the Educate NY Now! Campaign
Participate in the district’s budget
process (Budget Calendar - PDF)
.
