Schools to state officials: Where is the money?

School officials had one question Friday during the annual Jefferson-Lewis School Board Association Legislative Breakfast at Case Middle School: Where’s the money?

State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton; Assemblyman Kenneth D. Blankenbush, R-Black River; and Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, listened to concerns from school leaders facing state aid cuts and voter backlash for raising property taxes.

“New York state spends a lot of money on education,” Mr. Blankenbush said. “They just don’t know how to spend it.”

He said schools could be helped if the $250 million that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo wants to spend on competitive grants was returned to the budget and redistributed to school districts.

“Last year, the governor said we’re going to put 4 percent back into the budget, but schools don’t know what happened to their share,” Mr. Blankenbush said.

The president of the Alexandria Central School Board of Education agreed.

“What I want to know is how the governor is going to feel when we’re No. 1 in spending and 43rd in results,” said Stephen S. Drezler.

Some schools are more desperate than others. Copenhagen’s superintendent, Scott N. Connell, said there is a possibility his district will be bankrupt in a few years if state aid continues to dwindle.

“It’s becoming apparent that the state is trying to consolidate,” he said. “It bothers me to say (to parents) we couldn’t help your kids because we don’t have the resources to do it.”

Mr. Connell said students learn more efficiently in small schools, but districts are being punished because “the state doesn’t like small schools.”

“No, you’re being punished by Long Island and Westchester,” Mrs. Russell said. “We’re distributing money the wrong way.”

Mrs. Russell said students won’t be productive members of society if schools can’t provide classes that offer a competitive edge on college and employee resumes. She said unfunded mandates have eroded the budgets of the state’s poorest schools, many of which are in the north country.

“At this point, I’m not buying into the fluff out there,” she said. “At this point, a lot of the federal policies are perverting what we can provide for our children.”

When Mrs. Ritchie was asked about her contribution toward getting rid of unfunded mandates, she said it has been brought up to no avail.

Mrs. Ritchie said she hoped the state’s budget will be adopted by March 26. The state fiscal year begins April 1.