2009-2010 Budget
Governor’s proposal would
reduce aid to Mohonasen by more than $950,000
If adopted, reduction would mean
substantial cuts district wide
| “Dramatic cuts to our education system
today will negatively impact our schools and our state for
years to come.” - Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Spring |
Nov. 17, 2008
Governor David Paterson’s proposal to reduce state aid mid-year, which was presented to state lawmakers and constituents last week, would cut state funding to Mohonasen by more than $950,000.
If his proposal is adopted by the state legislature, it would mean a significant reduction in funding at a point in the school year when a large portion of the district’s budget has been allocated and even spent.
State aid is one of two major sources of revenue for Mohonasen – the other being local property taxes – which means that such a reduction would have a dramatic impact.
“Mohonasen has a long history of producing lean budgets, but now that we are in such trying economic times, we all need to tighten our belts and look for additional places to save money,” Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Spring said. “However, a reduction in state aid of this level could mean nearly extinguishing our reserve funds, which have been carefully built over a long-period of time, or making severe programmatic cuts that would affect our ability to meet the needs of all students.”
Dr. Spring added that if the district uses any or all of its reserve funds to make up for this year’s reduction in state aid, it will be spending the only “rainy day” funds it has.
| “We at Mohonasen understand the severity
of the state’s fiscal situation, but as a society we cannot
jeopardize the future of our children or our state.” - Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Spring |
“No one expects this problem to only last one year,” she said. “By using our reserves now, we are depleting the only resource we have to moderate tax increases in difficult budget years, which is not in the best interest of the district or our taxpayers.”
Administrators and the Board of Education will be working to develop a plan in the case that these proposed aid cuts are implemented.
“We have always been careful and conservative with taxpayer money, which unfortunately means there are very few areas where it will be easy to cut costs,” Spring said.
Because education is a people-intensive business, almost three-quarters of the district’s budget is devoted to the salary and benefits of personnel. Dr. Spring, along with school administrators across the state, recognize that a reduction in state aid on this scale will most likely mean that districts will be forced to reduce staffing unless there is some type of plan at the state level to address mandates such as retirement costs, health insurance, special education and/or contractual obligations.
Spring noted that Mohonasen has taken many steps to reduce costs during the last few years. For example, through its energy plan the district has realized an approximately $1 million savings on energy costs. Officials have also limited field trips, looked to make transportation routes more efficient through the use of advanced computer software, and have not filled vacant positions unless necessary.
“We at Mohonasen understand the severity of the state’s fiscal situation, but as a society we cannot jeopardize the future of our children or our state,” Spring said. “In a time when we are trying to attract businesses such as Advance Micro Devices to our area, we are also talking about cutting the funding that will help to maintain strong educational programs that prepare students for the careers of tomorrow.”
“Even during hard times like these, we still need to be forward thinking,” she added. “Dramatic cuts to our education system today will negatively impact our schools and our state for years to come.”
Learn more about the Governor's proposal on the State's Division of Budget Web site.
