Port Washington School Officials Calling For ‘Fair’ Funding

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — The Port Washington School District, which has exceeded its budget by nearly $3.7 million in COVID-19 expenses, is calling on local politicians to discuss New York State’s school aid, financial support for mental health and adequate preparation to reopen schools safely.

The district’s legislative task force recently met with state Sen. Anna Kaplan and Assemb. Gina Silitti to discuss the state’s 2021-2022 proposed budget, including foundation aid and reimbursable expenses, which may trigger a shortfall, district officials said in a news release.

The district’s Board of Education recently penned an open letter in February to Kaplan, Silitti, and state Regent Roger Tilles calling for the district’s fair share in school aid as part of a petition on Change.org last month. So far, the board has collected about 2,400 signatures.

The Board of Education’s open letter on Change.org requested the district get its fair share of new federal aid, which trickles down to the state level for distribution to the state’s schools. The aid is “intended to supplant, not replace,” the district’s “fair share of state aid,” the letter continued.

The board also requested support for federal legislation providing COVID-19 relief funding directly to public schools, and that the lawmakers ensure the district receives “adequate and fair funding of state aid.”

When faced with the decision whether to go the cheaper route and keep the schools closed, the district chose to reopen last fall, and that resulted in 3.7 million in spending, according to the board’s letter. Officials estimate that if COVID-19 testing becomes necessary to keep the schools open due to rising positivity rates in Nassau County, there will be an additional expenditure of $40,000 to cover the mandated testing every time 20% of staff and students have to be tested.

The board described its COVID-19 expenses as staggering and continuing to mount while the district’s reserves are being depleted.

“Port [Washington] outperforms New York State in almost every metric, and we do it at a lower cost per student than most of our neighbor districts here in Nassau County,” the letter continues. “In the age of [COVID-19], funding is more important than ever, as our district faces mounting emotional, physical, educational, and operational demands. Our district’s pandemic spending has been unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes, and it has come with little to no relief from the federal government.”

The financial burden is not sustainable and is likely to have “ramifications for years to come,” according to the board.

In a news release, Schools Superintendent Michael Hynes said district officials are committed to fighting for their students, who they consider the leaders of tomorrow, so that they can have the “educational opportunities and experiences that they deserve.”

“They should not have to bear the brunt of our state’s struggle to balance its budget,” he said.

Kaplan, who was elected in 2019, said she has been proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the district and the entire community fighting for the students in Albany. She said that in her first year as senator she was able to help bring back a 21.45% increase in state aid, which was dramatically more than the statewide average increase of only 3.6% that year.

In 2020, the state faced huge budget shortfalls, and schools saw decreases in their state aid, but Kaplan fought to get another 2.55% funding increase for the district, she said.

“As we head into another challenging budget year, I’m thrilled to be working once again with the [Port Washington] community to fight back against proposed changes in the state budget that would hurt our local schools, and I’m going to continue to fight to bring back the resources necessary to continue providing our kids with the best education under the safest conditions possible,” she said.

The task force plans to meet with U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Nassau Legis. Delia Deriggi Whitton.