Covid19 Shutdown is impacting local school budgets

While we adapt to a life of working and learning from home, the future of public schools remains uncertain. While on a zoom class meeting, my daughter’s Spanish teacher mentioned that 6th grade foreign language program may be cut in the 2020-2021 school year due to Covid19. Right now Twelve Corners Middle School offers French, German and Spanish courses.

In many communities, revenue comes from income and sales taxes­—both of which abruptly collapsed when New York shut down all non essential business and issued the Stay Home order.

Although most school districts won’t see an impact on their 2019-20 budget, it’s next year when state revenue shortfalls hit district budgets.

Superintendent for the Brighton Central School District Kevin McGowan sent me this summary:

1. We were proposing a cap compliant budget that required a tax increase
   of 3.8%. That budget included the Governor’s proposed increase in aid
   and required us to reduce spending $2.4 million.
   2. The bottom fell out. COVID-19 resulted in a dramatic change in the
   state budget process. The Governor’s proposal was null and void. No
   more money is coming. Federal money filled the state’s gap. We are
   also anticipating a loss of sales tax revenue.
   3. We are now developing a revised proposal which will be an under the
   cap budget, requiring a tax increase of 3.8%. This requires us to now
   reduce spending an additional $1.7 million.

You can read more on his revised budget proposal here. 

As the world moves ever closer to a global economy, the ability to communicate in more than one language is more important than ever.

There has got to be a way to continue to provide students the ability to learn foreign languages, even if that means holding classes online.

Yo hablo un poco Español pero quiero mi hijas supieren mas!