Assessing the Budget, A Letter to The Gazette, April 23

By Andrea M. Furey

The candidate discusses her views on the proposed budget.

As someone who has attended the school budget meetings over the past few months, I would like to congratulate the board, administrators and the many members of the public who got involved for wrangling out a budget that keeps our schools relatively strong, maintains important afterschool programs like intramural sports in the middle school AND comes in with a 0% tax increase for Town of Cortlandt residents (includes Croton) and a .067% reduction for Yorktown (the difference is caused by equalization rates over which the school has no control.)

Over the past months I've heard the board describe the budget as a philosophical statement of the district's priorities. I think this is misleading and has caused some pain and concern among parents when it was assumed that cuts made in teachers -- such as the 2 Reading Specialists cut from PVC -- or programs indicated that these people and programs were valued less than those that weren't cut. In fact it appears that most decisions were made for purely practical reasons + they would help save money and children could still receive a good education.

There is, however, a limit to how much can be cut before education suffers, and we've come very close with this budget. For example high school classes will be bigger next year with fewer choices when sections of key academic classes such as English and Social Studies are cut and the student body continues to grow. The student body will be growing in all three school buildings next year.

It is also emotionally wrenching to cut teachers + people who work hard for the welfare for our children and build strong relationships with our families and community. I believe that teacher cuts can never be taken lightly and should not and cannot become a regular tactic to balance budgets.

It is important for the community to remain engaged as we move on to next year's budget which will likely be even more challenging -- and will be built under a new superintendent and board.

I am running for a spot on that board and I will do all I can to empower a grassroots community advocacy movement to thwart unnecessary, unfunded mandates from Albany, and to advocate for all possible government funding for which we are eligible to keep our taxes at a similar rate and keep our schools strong. I ask for your vote on May 19th and, most importantly, your help as we go forward to protect our schools and our quality of life.

I'd like to hear from you: andreafurey@msn.com, 271-7640, or visit my blog: andreafureyforschoolboard.blogspot.com.

Or meet with me at the Croton Colonial Diner on Thursday nights from 7:30 + 8:30 pm. If you'd like to meet earlier in the evening than that, let me know. I'd be pleased to have any of the other candidates join us.

Sincerely, Andrea Furey