Unatego United to host forum on school aid

Local News

Discussion

COMMENTING ON STORIES:

Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.

Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.

Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.

RULES OF CONDUCT:

We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:

1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.

WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:

1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:

1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.

WE WELCOME:

1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.

MONITORING:

We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time (including weekends) will be sporadic.

comments powered by Disqus

February 8, 2012

By Mark Boshnack Staff Writer The Daily Star Wed Feb 08, 2012, 02:30 AM EST

A Unatego Central School community group said it is hoping people from other districts join its latest effort to tackle an issue affecting most area schools.

Unatego United is holding a forum open to residents in all school districts, to discuss concerns about state aid. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the school's high school auditorium. State Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, and Assemblyman Pete Lopez, R-Schoharie, are among legislators scheduled to join the discussions with representatives of groups in the school community and beyond, an organizer said.

The group was formed by district residents following a November meeting on reconfiguring its elementary schools, in part to deal with the pending funding crisis. The issue was tabled to allow the board to find how much the district would receive in state aid. Superintendent Charles Molloy suggested residents write to their legislators to change the way state aid is distributed. The high needs, low-wealth districts that dominate the area are not getting what they need to compete with students in areas such as Westchester and Long Island, he said.

In Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget, Unatego is scheduled to see its state aid cut $1.1 million from a total aid budget of $12.6 million to help the state close its budget deficit, Molloy said. The district lost $3 million from aid for this year for the same reason.

The Legislature will offer its budget proposal before a final spending plan is adopted. It is due April 1.

Unatego United co-chairwoman Anne Winchester said she got involved because of how budget shortfalls were affecting her children's elementary school. The possible impact in such areas as sports and Advanced Placement classes mean that "a lot is on the line" for all residents. If the cuts go through, "we could lose a lot of programs," she said.

The group meets about every two weeks for sessions that include writing letters to legislators, and at a recent meeting on state school funding there were representatives from six other districts, she said.

Molloy said that he is pleased with the group's efforts. About 40 came to the last session. With participation of legislators and more schools, he said, he was hopeful there would be a bigger turnout.

"I think it's important to show there is a widespread concern," he said.

The group has had participation from other schools. This includes Unadilla Valley Central School Superintendent Robert Mackey. Like other districts, his faces state aid cuts for the third straight year. Cuomo's proposal calls for about $1 million in aid cuts from a total of about $14 million.

"Students and staff are paying the price," he said.

Seward said he has received a number of letters from residents regarding a change in aid distribution.

"That is one of my priorities for the years," he said, adding that he was looking forward to meeting with the group.

Lopez said the session will be like others he has attended over the years. He is "passionate" about making sure students have the same opportunities that other generations have had, he said.

He is pushing for greater equity in funding for rural schools, including flexibility on the grant funds. He is also seeking help on such issues as sharing resources and mandate relief.