Unique programs salvaged while others downsize in school board meeting

By Amanda Sivan Kaufman
As the Plattsburgh City School Board sat in Duken Elementary at their March 11 meeting listening to several smiling kids talk about their beloved after school program Biz Kids, they were reminded only of the hot topic to follow—budget and finance.
The 7:30 p.m. meeting started with an introduction by three students to the program based on a popular PBS education series that teaches how to balance and make money.
After the presentation the school board started facing ideas on how to handle their budget gap of $2.8 million, deciding that a strong possibility of both program cuts and tax increase.
”If we have activities that they can find someplace else then we should probably be dropping those,” School Board President Clayton Morris said. “I think from here on in we are really going to struggle to do everything for everyone.”
Superintendent James Short reported that with the recent “favorable” movement of 15 teachers resigning one third of the district’s budget gap has decreased, leaving approximately $1.9 million to solve.
The school board agreed not to cut any programs from the district that are unique to the community such as the Odyssey program and Biz Kids, but other areas such as summer school might have to take a hiatus in order to save money.
No single area such as music or sports will be cut completely, but may have to be downsized according to Morris.
The largest issue the board had with cutting sports was the fear of causing “socio-economic issues” within the community if a sport gets cut, separating kids whose families who have money from being able to play from kids whose families cannot afford a private sport.
The district has the largest sports program that attracts the most kids in a “very vulnerable time in their life,” according to the school board, and cutting the proposed 25 percent from the sports budget would be “earth shattering” for the students.
A possible slight tax increase was discussed, with concern to the local economy and job market. The board agreed that no more than a 2% increase would take place.