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Hudson considers major teacher lay-offs
Feb 16, 2011 7:01 am
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Hudson City Middle School, as seen on the district's website"]
[/caption]The Hudson City School District board held a meeting earlier this week to crunch numbers for the coming year's budget and the picture that's taking shape isn't pretty. According to the Register-Star, the spending plan actually provoked "an audible gasp" when presented on Valentines' Day night, February 14, with two "worst case scenarios including the cutting of 71 teaching positions and a 3.9 percent tax levy increase, or the loss of 32 teaching positions and a 14.9 percent increase. The balance, according to discussion points, is between “keeping the taxpayers in mind” and “carrying out our mission of educating our students,” with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budgetary cuts to school aid, and a proposed property tax cap, driving the draconian measures. “It’s a game changer,” said HCSD Superintendent Jack Howe. A contingency budget, which could be adopted without going before voters, would include the loss of 22 teaching positions, plus the 10 jobs restored last year through federal stimulus funds, and leaves a 14.9 percent tax levy increase. The potential sale of the shuttered Greenport School, which the board of education has put a minimum sale price of $900,000 on, is also being considered.
[/caption]The Hudson City School District board held a meeting earlier this week to crunch numbers for the coming year's budget and the picture that's taking shape isn't pretty. According to the Register-Star, the spending plan actually provoked "an audible gasp" when presented on Valentines' Day night, February 14, with two "worst case scenarios including the cutting of 71 teaching positions and a 3.9 percent tax levy increase, or the loss of 32 teaching positions and a 14.9 percent increase. The balance, according to discussion points, is between “keeping the taxpayers in mind” and “carrying out our mission of educating our students,” with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budgetary cuts to school aid, and a proposed property tax cap, driving the draconian measures. “It’s a game changer,” said HCSD Superintendent Jack Howe. A contingency budget, which could be adopted without going before voters, would include the loss of 22 teaching positions, plus the 10 jobs restored last year through federal stimulus funds, and leaves a 14.9 percent tax levy increase. The potential sale of the shuttered Greenport School, which the board of education has put a minimum sale price of $900,000 on, is also being considered.