November 20, 2008
Dear Families:
You have probably heard that the economic situation is affecting the schools and that school budgets are being reduced mid-year. Each New York City school was given a 1.8% budget cut, effective tomorrow. For Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies, this is 82,654 added to the $100,000 debt we are paying the DOE for next five years (due to an error they made in our budget last year) and a projected additional cut for next year of over $200,000. For Brooklyn New School the amount is $58502, which is on top of an earlier register cut of $25,572. Clearly, this is a lot of money and will affect how the schools are managed for the rest of this year.
Imagine trying to make a budget for yourself or your family having no idea what your salary would be for the year. While many families are experiencing this due to job loss or salary reduction, this is the exact situation, we as principals, face in relation to our school budgets. Since last February, we have had our budgets cut, restored and cut again, three times. In the case of BCS, for three years running, someone in the DOE made a significant error in over-allocation that was not corrected until several months into the school year – after much of the money had been spent.
For years we’ve been told – and you have heard - that principals control school budgets and can use funds as they and their School Leadership Teams decide will be of most benefit to their students. Initial budgetary decisions are made in the spring when we are required to create a yearly plan that includes basic staffing, professional development, extracurricular activities, support for struggling students, enrichment, mentoring of new teachers, absence coverage, books, equipment, furniture, and supplies. Certain funds are targeted for specific programs, but other money, what is known as Tax Levy funding, is much more flexible and principals make many choices about how to allocate, stretch, and make best use of these dollars. Each school budget is a complex puzzle in which one decision or allocation informs another. For example, one might choose to provide teachers in professional development on how to help struggling readers and this PD might be most effective if coupled with the purchase of many new books. One or the other – in isolation – might not be an effective way to spend money.
It is impossible for us to make responsible, informed decisions if our annual budget is a moving target, an ever-changing sum. It is unfair to expect principals and teachers to make annual plans if budgets keep changing throughout the year.
Brooklyn New School will cut almost all of its remaining supply money (approximately $ 20,000), which means we will have very little left to pay for the basic supplies that we need. We will also cut all of our money targeted for professional development. (This is approximately $12,000) We have eliminated $10,000 used to pay teachers for work done before and after school. And lastly, we have cut approximately $16,500 from our budget for substitute teachers.
BCS is still waiting funds to support and teach the larger than predicted number of students that are enrolled this year. This means we have fewer teachers than we should and we are still waiting for money needed to hire them. This budget cut means that our plan to expand our college counseling to students in all grades is on hold and that we too will cut funds for supplies, substitute coverage, and professional development.
We are hoping that Friends of BNS and BCS will be able to help us by buying some of the must have supplies that we need. We also hope they will offer to pay for some of the cheaper professional development opportunities that come our way. And of course, before and after school, our teachers will continue to work without getting paid, something they have always done, in good economic times and bad ones. When teachers are absent, we will do our best to cover classes by asking our intervention, support and cluster teachers to give up or change their programs. Of course, if many teachers are absent or at professional development workshops that have already been paid for, we will continue to hire a sub.
We don’t want to frighten you with this letter, but we do want to make you aware that these budget cuts are very real and will definitely make it harder on all of us. We are also very worried that New York State will turn around and take away even more funds from the schools, and if, this in fact, does happen, the only thing left to cut is personnel. For now, our staffing is primarily intact.
We will try to maintain the integrity of our school’s vision and mission, but there is no question that these budget cuts are significant and saddening. We hope you will help us as we work to do what we must do on a reduced budget and that you will direct your energies to the powers that be to demand that tax funds go into the schools and not into accountability systems and testing. On December 1, our PTA meeting will talk more about the budget problems. We hope to see you there! Meanwhile, tomorrow night take a break from the economic worries and come join us in the auditorium for a little dance, music and theater composed and created by our talented BNS youngsters.
All for now,
Anna and Alyce
Reminder
Please remember that it is getting cold and that we go outside every day. Make sure your child has a coat, gloves, and a hat.
Quote of the Week:
Kori and Helen’s class were sitting on the bus after their trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and singing “The Wheels on the Bus”. After singing the first verse, someone suggested they sing, ‘the dads on the bus’ next. Kori asked, “What are the dads doing?” Someone piped up, “They’re reading, they’re reading the newspaper.”
Dateline:
Thursday November 20 BNS ½ day Parent/Teacher Conferences
Friday November 21 Friends of BNS/BCS 8:30 AM Parent Room
Friday November 21 BCS MS Tour 9:00
Friday November 21 Friends Meeting 8:30 AM in room 208
Friday November 21 BNS Extravaganza 6:00
Monday November 24 BNS Parent/Teacher Conferences
Monday November 24 BNS Alumni Night for fourth and fifth grade families
Thursday November 27 No school -Thanksgiving Recess
Friday November 28 No school -Thanksgiving Recess
Monday December 1 SLT & PTA meetings
Wednesday December 3 Parent as Learning Partners – Literacy
Tuesday December 9 BCS Middle School Tour 9:00
Tuesday December 9 BNS Picture Retake Day
Friday December 9 BCS MS Tour 9:00
Wednesday December 10 Kindergarten Parent Breakfast
Wednesday December 10 Second math workshop for BNS Parents 6:00
Tuesday December 16 BCS Middle School Tour 9:00
Tuesday December 16 Fifth Grade Parent Meeting re middle school 6:00
Wednesday December 17 Pre-k Parent Breakfast
Thursday December 18 BCS Picture Retake Day
Thursday December 18 BCS Middle School Tour 6:30 PM
Tuesday December 23 Last day of school before Winter Recess.
Monday January 5 Students return to school
