$12M in Staff & Program Cuts to Balance School Budget
By Dan Murphy
The budget outlook for Yonkers Public Schools, and its 26,574 kindergarten through grade 12 students, got a little clearer last week when Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada presented his proposed budget for the 2019-20 school year to the Board of Education and the public. Quezada proposed a budget that he said he hopes the board does not approve, which calls for 106 staff cuts and $3.8 million in program cuts for the upcoming school year that starts in September.
Quezada thanked both the state delegation from Yonkers and Mayor Mike Spano for increased funding for YPS in the state budget and the mayor’s proposed budget, but even with the increased funding, YPS still has a $17.6 million budget hole that Quezada said he is forced to close with proposed cuts to staff and programs.
“We have had one united message, that Yonkers must be funded fairly,” he said. “We have been left behind for too many years and we must continue the fight. We were able to significantly increase our revenue from Albany and from the mayor’s proposed budget, however I am still dealing with a budget deficit. I remain confident that we can reduce the deficit without reduced staff or programs.”
As of May 1, Quezada proposed a status quo budget with total spending at $645.2 million, with revenue from the state and city totaling 627.6 million, leaving a budget gap of $17.6 million.
One less painful cut, a transfer of the funding of books for next school year, would have the city bond for the $4.6 million cost of books. That would reduce the YPS budget hole to $13 million.
Quezada has proposed closing the $13 million budget hole through staff cuts, totaling $9.2 million; and program cuts, totaling $3.8 million.
The specific staff cuts are: Yonkers Federation of Teachers, 48 positions, $6.57 million; Civil Service Employees Association, 50 positions, $1.53 million; Yonkers Council of Administrators and Central Office Administration, seven positions, $985,000; and one Teamster position, $114,798.
Program cuts include $1.1 million in transportation contracts and $1.4 million in tuition costs, plus several smaller cuts to BOCES, and utilities and building repairs.
Quezada said he was not thrilled in having to make this budget presentation to the board, and is still hopeful that additional revenue comes by the time he has to submit a final budget in June. “We have proposed a status quo budget with no new programs or new staff,” he said. “That budget is $645.2 million and I do recognize that is an increase of almost $30 million, but I’m not adding anything – we are trying to keep the same services this year for next year.”
Quezada’s proposed budget of $645.2 million increases spending from this current school year’s budget of $615.6 million by 4.8 percent. If Quezada and the Board of Education end up with the reduced budget with a $627.6 million, the budget-to-budget increase will be less than 2 percent.
“This is painful for us,” said Quezada. “How do we cut transportation by $1.1 million? How many families will be impacted? There is no way of expressing how challenging this is for all of us.”
Here is the dilemma that Quezada, the Board of Education, and YPS stakeholders all have in securing additional funds for the September school year: Mayor Spano, in his budget proposal, provided an additional $12 million in funding for YPS from the city and its taxpayers, and the state has already increased it Education Aid to Yonkers by $27 million.
Neither the mayor nor City Council republicans are interested in adding more in city funding to YPS, with a proposed property tax increase already at 3.93 percent. Some councilmembers have already stated that they hope to reduce the property tax increase, which would require cuts –not increases – to some part of Spano’s budget plan.
The council and the mayor must also agree to bond the cost of books, at $4.6 million, which is said to be in the works. Additional state funding could come, but only at another $1 million or $2 million.
The City Council will hold its upcoming budget hearings over the next few weeks, with Quezada presenting his budget to the council this week and again in mid-May.
This year’s Yonkers budget could easily drag into June, as Quezada and the school board lobby and search for more funding.
