Budgetary challenges must be met head-on

It is time for leaders to take strong, firm stances. That goes for lawmakers in Washington and Albany, our county, town and village representatives and the elected members of our own boards of education.

The state, led by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is attempting to dig out of a fiscal mess. Nassau County, led by County Executive Ed Mangano, has its own troubles and is challenging a takeover of its finances by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority. In the midst of those two waves of financial troubles are the school districts.

The governor’s Executive Budget included $1.5 billion in cuts to state aid, slashing millions in revenue for many school districts. During a recent budget presentation in Nassau County, Cuomo said that districts could tap into unrestricted reserve funds to make up for his reductions. But school district administrators say that those reserve funds, built up over the years, could be depleted quickly if they are used to make up for lost state aid.

School districts are accustomed to reductions in state funding. Former Gov. David Paterson cut aid for the current school year. In 2009 and 2010, however, school districts received additional aid through the federal stimulus package, which was often applied to make up for those state cuts. But funding that helped financially strapped districts in the last two budgets can no longer be counted on, because federal stimulus measures are not expected to return this budget cycle.

As district administrators and school board members craft budget proposals for next year, they also contend with new challenges:

¶ A proposed cap on property taxes, passed by the State Senate and supported by Cuomo. Though taxpayers would likely benefit from this cap, it might severely limit the budgeting process and prompt districts to take drastic cost-cutting measures, like eliminating programs, increasing class sizes and imposing layoffs.