New Rochelle Schools Face Tough Budget Process

The propsed state budget, , was, to say the least, an eye opener for the New Rochelle City School District

"We were probably prepared for an 8 or 9 percent decrease (in funding)," said Superintendent Richard Organisciak. "It became a shock when we actually saw the figure."

For 2011-12, the district is facing a $4.3 million cut in state aid from last year's budget—a 13.8 percent decrease.

"It looks like they slaughtered everyone," Organisciak said, with double-digit decreases the rule rather than the exception in neighboring districts.

He said to maintain programs, staffing and services in the current $224 million budget an additional $11 million would be necessary. The total loss of revenue to the district, including loss of state aid and federal stimulus funds, amounts to about $10.7 million.

Where does he begin?

"I think you start with the obvious," Organisciak said. "We are going out to the community Thursday. What is it that the community values?

On Thursday, the district will have the first of , the second being March 2. Both 7 p.m. sessions—held at the —will be shown live on Cablevision and Verizon and will be available on the district's Web site.

Community members have also been asked to participate in an about school-related budget issues.

Organisciak said the community has for many years valued keeping classes a certain size.

"If that continues to be a strong statement by the community," he said, "the only way you hold onto class size is to reduce personnel."

To preserve the core courses—English, mathematics, science and social studies—everything else is going to have to be examined, such as the arts, languages and electives.

Organisciak said the district lost 79 staff positions leading up to the last budget, 30 of them to attrition, the rest to layoffs.

He scoffed at the governor's suggestion that one of the ways districts can ease the burden on its taxpayers was to use part of their fund balance to pay down the tax levy.

"If you were to ask anybody how they run their households, and the first suggestion was to deplete your savings," Organisciak said, "most would look at that as being the most foolish."

He said the district has about $6 million in reserves, where it should be between $8 million and $10 million.

"If you tap out reserves, then you have to borrow (for emergencies)," Organisciak said. "Even though interest rates are lower, you plunge into bond rating purgatory or hell."

State Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Mamaroneck, the ranking Democrat on the education committee, said she shared New Rochelle's concerns.

"These proposed cuts are going to affect every district in the state," she said.

"With the limited authority the legislature has to restore funds," Oppenheimer said, "I am still looking for ways to help."

She said she is continuing her efforts to offer unfunded mandate relief to the schools.

"That is the only way we can help them reduced their costs," Oppenheimer said.