School districts in the Rochester area and the rest of New York are in the midst of budget season, and many are grappling with how or whether to fund programs they started using federal pandemic relief dollars, which are now gone.
The districts used that money to support programming like counseling and extended day programs. But going forward, state and federal funding for those initiatives is uncertain.
“I think this year is going to be one of those years where we're preparing in advance for what's to come a couple of years from now,” said Amy Thomas, executive director of the Monroe County School Boards Association. “State aid is dwindling for most of our schools, and so I think our schools are trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario in the next 24 months.”
That is playing out in real time at the Rochester City School District, which is projecting a nearly $130 million gap by the year 2031.
In a recent school board meeting, Superintendent Eric Rosser said he’s looking at budget cuts that wouldn’t touch classrooms. He proposed cutting positions at Central Office, and re-evaluating staffing for school buildings.
“We have the interest of our children first. In connection to that, (we are) making sure that those individuals, particularly at the school level who support our children day in and day out, that they are too supported,” Rosser said. “And that we are operating in a way that doesn't present an issue similar to what we saw in 2019 where there was a financial calamity that disrupted instruction.”
The Rochester Board of Education is scheduled to begin budget deliberations on April 14.
The end of the pandemic relief funding is just one budgetary issue that districts are dealing with. Many of them, including RCSD, rely on state aid for a chunk of their revenues. The state budget, which was due April 1, is late. That presents a planning challenge for districts.
Lawmakers passed an extender Tuesday to keep state government functioning for another week, but that's likely a sign that legislators and the governor are still working to come to agreement on key issues.
