Schools could get some budget relief with legislative package

By REBECCA CRONISER
Posted Mar 16, 2010 @ 03:57 PM
Last update Mar 16, 2010 @ 06:54 PM

There hasn’t been much good news for school districts this year when it has come to their budgets.

But there might be some relief on the horizon after the state Senate passed a package of mandate relief bills this week. The legislation seeks to give school districts more financial flexibility and includes a proposed change to the way public schools calculate contingency budgets.

That’s something that local school districts have been asking for, especially in the wake of the Gov. David Paterson’s proposed budget that cuts $1.4 billion in education spending.

“It’s a significant step in right direction to relieve some costs,” said Rome City School District Superintendent Jeffrey Simons. “Any money freed up through mandate relief is certainly money that can be used in programs and in the classrooms.”

The bills include:

  •  Paperwork Reduction Act: Would require the state to create an electronic data collection system to reduce the amount of paper and cut down on administrative personnel need to complete reports. A version of this bill also passed the Assembly on Monday and it is now awaiting approval from the governor’s office.
  • Education Mandate Relief Act: Would minimize the impacts of unfunded mandates on schools; allow school districts to share private transportation contracts; and expand the services provided by BOCES. The bill also would prevent the implementation of new school program mandates after the budget has been adopted.
  • Universal Pre-Kindergarten Flexibility: Would allow districts to use money for the program for supportive services such as transportation.
  • Flexibility in Claims Auditing: Would allow school districts to appoint deputy claims auditors for quicker processing of bills.
     

The three bills are now in the state Assembly.

“Through this legislation we are encouraging streamlining that can cut back on the administrative costs of doing all this reporting,” said Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, D-Rome. “This is more important this year than in the past because the dollars are not there. We don’t want to divert dollars from the classroom into administration.”

The four bills were introduced in 2009 after the governor’s office threaten to cut state aid to school districts last year but were never brought to a vote. The bills were reintroduced in January again after the governor proposed more state aid cuts. The Senate easily passed them — three passed unanimously while the mandate relief act passed 52-2.

School districts have been struggling in the past few months with how to deal with the proposed cuts to education. Their options have been limited to either cutting programs and staff or double digit tax hikes.

Cutting down on the number of mandates schools have to comply with would save hundreds of thousands of dollars for some districts.

Whitesboro Superintendent David Langone said he was encouraged by the news, but said more needs to be done.

“In terms of mandate relief, we need it from the legislative end and (the) state education (department),” he said. “We’re in such financial straights, that we can’t just look at the mandates that scratch the surface. We need to take a look at the big ticket items.”

State Sen. Joseph Griffo, who voted for the four bills, acknowledged that there were flaws, but said the bills were a first step.

“Real authentic mandate relief is what is necessary,” Griffo said. “This is a good signal that we are serious about doing something.”