This is the week parents and school supporters should be contacting legislators about state aid.
That's according to Cobleskill-Richmondville Superintendent Carl Mummenthey, who urged action at Monday's school board meeting.
In preparing for next year, C-R are faced with a budget gap; projected revenues are about $130,000 short of the spending total.
That gap was as high as $395,000 two weeks ago, but officials trimmed spending to narrow the amount.
Mr. Mummenthey--and administrators in other school districts--are looking to the legislature to boost state aid so that schools won't have to cut further.
"Advocacy. . .this is a critical week to reach out to legislators," Mr. Mummenthey said Monday, noting that Albany is expected to approve the state budget on or by April 1.
He recommended letters, emails and phone calls to not only Assemblyman Pete Lopez and Senator Jim Seward, but other leaders as well.
Although aid is one issue, others are the tax-levy cap and mandate relief.
Originally billed as a two-percent limit, the levy cap is the amount districts can raise the tax levy. It's tied to the consumer price index, so the tax-levy cap is rarely two percent.
C-R's cap for the coming budget is .6 percent.
Mr. Mummenthey said the state "should take a common-sense approach to adjust the cap" and give districts more leeway.
For mandate relief, the legislature should fund mandates and new directives rather than forcing districts to pay for them, Mr. Mummenthey said.
"We have to be united, and we have to be strong," he said.
The time might be too late for letters. Phone numbers and emails for leaders are:
•Assemblyman Lopez, 455-5363; lopezp@assembly.state.ny.us
•Senator Seward, 455-3131; Seward@nysenate.gov.
•Senator Carl Marcellino, chair of the Education Committee, 455-2390; marcelli@nysenate.gov.
•Assemlywoman Catherine Nolan, chair of the Assembly Education Committee, 455-4851; nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us.
•Senator Majority Leader John Flanagan, 455-3171; Flanagan@nysenate.gov.
•Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, 455-3791; speaker@assembly.state.ny.us.