Decrease in State Aid to Increase Program Cuts in Brewster Schools
In superintendent of schools Jane Sandbank’s seven years at the helm for the Brewster School District, Sandbank said this budget season is the gloomiest she’s ever dealt with.
“It’s never been this bad,” Sandbank said in an interview. “This is my seventh year here. We’ve made cuts going back three years. It’s never been this bad.”
And that bleak outlook was felt throughout last Tuesday night’s school board meeting, as Sandbank and the district had to address rumors of a possible cut to an entire program and go over fixed costs that the district can’t avoid. Sandbank, along with School Board President Stephen Jambor, expressed concern about how Brewster will fair in a precarious position with little to no relief from New York State.
At the very start of the meeting, Sandbank addressed rumors concerning the possible cut of the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program, which is an integral part of the Brewster school district. During the meeting, Sandbank said the rumors started swirling that previous Saturday and she received multiple emails regarding the program.
She put that rumor to rest during the meeting and later in the week once again voiced how that possibility was simply untrue.
“There were rumors and misinformation and it took on a life of its own through the Internet that we were going to eliminate NJROTC,” Sandbank said. “It’s not true.”
While Sandbank said the program might be reduced, that would be the plan for many program throughout the school district. While nothing is out of the question, Sandbank said that making small cuts to multiple programs would be the first option rather than removing an entire program.
Sandbank said that the district has also already informed teachers who might be in jeopardy of losing their jobs as a precautionary move, though Sandbank said the budget process is still too early to determine anything. Sandbank couldn’t put a number on how many teachers were informed.
During the meeting, the district also went into the fixed costs that are expected for the following school year and will affect the budget. Deputy Superintendent Timothy Conway presented multiple costs.
Health insurance costs are expected to reach $10 million next school year and pension costs are expected to come close to $8 million. Buildings and grounds costs are also expected to go up to more than $5 million.
Brewster is also dealing with a major shortfall from state aid, getting $800,000 less for this upcoming budget. While more state aid could be a possibility, it’s something Sandbank isn’t counting on.
Sandbank is urging people to write to state legislators and Governor Andrew Cuomo in hopes of restoring aid for Brewster schools.
Combine less state aid with heavier pension costs means a tough budget season for Brewster, Sandbank said.
“Just those two lines in a state formula that has many, many, many budget lines,” Sandbank said. “Adds up to a very hard hit for Brewster.”
