C-R superintendent blasts Cuomo over state aid

2/2/2016

By Jim Poole

Cobleskill-Richmondville Superintendent Carl Mummenthey isn't exactly pleased with Governor Andrew Cuomo's school-aid proposal.
In fact, Mr. Mummenthey is angry about the state's role in school financing--not only for the 2016-17 year, but for the future as well.
The Governor released his '16-17 aid proposals late last month. C-R's shows the district getting a 2.1-percent overall aid increase.
But it also shows C-R losing $360,000 in the Gap Elimination Adjustment. Starting in 2011-12, the GEA is money Albany withheld from school districts to close the state budget gap.
The difference this year? There's no state budget gap.
"With no gap in the state budget, it's a little insulting to continue the GEA," Mr. Mummenthey said Friday.
"Our students have already paid the price."
Since the GEA began, the state's withheld about $15 million in aid from C-R.
Governor Cuomo indicated last year that there would be no GEA in 2016-17; now the proposal is a two-year phase-out.
Mr. Mummenthey pointed out, however, that legislators vowed to end the GEA sooner than the Governor planned.
He believes the Senate and Assembly will restore the GEA planned for next year, meaning C-R could recoup the $360,000.
The GEA isn't all that concerns Mr. Mummenthey. The Governor's proposed budget includes a new school aid category, Community Schools Aid.
The new aid is for high-needs rural districts or very low-performing schools, Mr. Mummenthey said.
Under Governor Cuomo's proposal, C-R wouldn't receive any of the new aid, but that's not what worries Mr. Mummenthey.
"Before we start something new to fund, let's restore what was taken before," he said.
Finally, Mr. Mummenthey is frustrated with the tax-levy cap for next year. It's proposed to be .12 percent, meaning C-R would need a super-majority from voters if next year's levy rises more than .12 percent.
For C-R, a .12-percent increase in spending translates to the district spending $17,000 to $20,000 more next year--a miniscule increase in a budget likely to be around $38 million.
"That increase wouldn't change anything in any one category," Mr. Mummenthey said. "It wouldn't cover raises to teachers, it wouldn't cover increased energy costs, it wouldn't do anything."
If the tax-levy cap will be so low, he added, Albany "has to deliver more in school aid" to help districts.
Looking to the future, Mr. Mummenthey said that instead of focusing on revenue, districts should aim to cut costs.
"We have to do everything we can to control costs," he said. "We have to be as lean as we can."
And that doesn't mean slashing programs for students just to make ends meet.
"We want our kids to be competitive in whatever arena they choose to compete in," Mr. Mummenthey said.
"We have to make our programs as cost-efficient as possible."