Community Calls on School Board to Reconsider Slashing Teaching Assistants

More than 200 people, including teachers, parents and concerned citizens, packed the Nyack Middle School gymnasium Tuesday night imploring the Nyack School Board to reconsider proposed cuts to the 2011-2012 school budget that would cost a number of teaching assistants their jobs.

Nyack interim-superintendent Jason Friedman said an already difficult economy—coupled with a reduction in New York State aid to local school districts and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s two-percent property tax cap proposal—has made formulating the 2011-12 budget an arduous task that has forced him and the School Board to make some very difficult decisions.

The proposed budget comes in at $70,852,914—a 0.15 percent increase from last year.

"The results will likely be grim, and deal with a real level of impact," Friedman added.

Friedman said reducing operating costs was necessary, and cuts were made in areas including special education, speech and language services, certain extracurricular student clubs and the number of teaching assistants, part-time monitors and clerical positions.

Also set to be slashed is a security position at the high school. Nyack may also begin to share transportation services with nearby districts to save money.

Despite these changes, Friedman remains confident next year's budget will meet financial obligations while still providing the district's students a solid educational foundation. There will be no major reductions in instructional programs, Friedman said, and the district will use federal aid funds to hire a new school psychologist.

But since the proposed budget was initially presented March 15, some members of the public—which generally shoulders 85 percent of the budget through taxes—have asked district administrators to re-examine the situation and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure teaching assistants do not become budget casualties. Many of these voices were present during the public participation of the workshop.

A number of people spoke, sometimes giving emotional testimony explaining the important role teaching assistants play in educating students.

Upper Nyack Elementary School teaching assistant Dorothy Durkin said those in her profession are extremely dedicated and committed to helping children learn. She asked the Board to carefully reconsider its position.

"The Board needs to redefine its priorities," said Nyack High School special education teacher Cordis MacAlpin. "We must ask, what else can we do?"

MacAlpin added that no one is more essential to the operation of a school system than its teachers and teaching assistants.

Another budget workshop meeting is scheduled for April 5. Adoption of the budget is expected to occur April 12.

Friedman said he welcomes continued input from the community and vowed to continue to look at the budget in every way possible over the next several weeks.

"We see the look of concern on your faces and can assure you we hear what you are saying," said Board Trustee Claudette Clarke. "We will continue to do whatever we can."

"We are facing a grave situation," said Board President Michael Lagana. "None of this is what we want to hear. We do appreciate and understand how much these decisions impact us and we will continue to do whatever we can with the resources we have."

The Board also appointed a new superintendent Tuesday night; read more about that .

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