Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The Syracuse City School Board learned more about the Superintendent's proposed cuts to next year's budget Wednesday evening. The district is facing a $35-million budget shortfall.
Among the new additions in Superintendent Daniel Lowengard's proposal was the possibility of closing Levy K-8 school. He also increased the number of proposed job cuts about 150 to 221.
While Lowengard hopes to make those job cuts through attrition, Anne Marie Voutsinas, the President of the Syracuse Teacher's Association, fears the cuts will be too deep. "People will say 'there's retirements and there's some vacancies,' but it still is positions that are missing. So if a position is vacant forever, then you'll never have that extra person that can take up some of the extra load with those students," Voutsinas said.
The School Board still has a lot of discussion before a final plan goes to the Common Council for approval.
SCSD discusses budget shortfall
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The Syracuse City School District discussed its budget shortfall Wednesday night. The district superintendent says he is looking at the possibility of cutting hundreds of jobs.
Superintendent Daniel Lowengard revealed more information about his plan to deal with the $35-million budget deficit. Initially, he wanted to cut 154 jobs - with 100 of those coming from attrition. Now, however, he's looking to cut even more from the payroll, as many as 221 positions. Many of those positions would be teachers and teacher's aids.
Superintendent Lowengard says the district may encourage retirement and offer teachers incentives to leave on their own. "The other thing we're talking about is the possibility of an incentive. So our hope is to get people who are on the fence about retiring to retire, so that would save hundreds of people."
The district is also looking at the possibility of closing a school.
Another SCSD budget meeting is planned for March 24.
