A deal between legislative leaders and Governor Cuomo on a state budget includes the $35 million needed to bail out the Rochester City School District for the rest of this school year. The money, along with budget cuts imposed by Superintendent Terry Dade, will close the hole in the budget caused by overspending before Dade was hired.
Assemblyman Harry Bronson tells 13 WHAM this was a big lift with the state facing its own revenue shortage from the coronavirus pandemic.
The School District says in a joint statement that it's extremely grateful to the governor and the Rochester-area legislative delegation for securing the money, enabling them to start the next fiscal year without a deficit.
Rochester Teachers Association President Adam Urbanski says it's a big win.
But the $35 million will not prevent more budget cuts next fiscal year needed to -- as Dade puts it -- "right size the district."
State Senator Rich Funke says that the $35 million comes with a state-appointed fiscal monitor who will oversee the district's spending until 2023. The district will pay back the extra funding over 30 years, by taking $1.5 million less in state funding a year. Dade says this will help regain the district's fiscal stability moving forward.
The district is still facing a $61 million shortfall. Earlier this week, Superintendent Dade proposed a budget for the next school year that eliminates 236 positions, including 192 teaching jobs.