Quotables From 'We Are Sachem' Rally

On Saturday thousands of Sachem School District residents turned out at Sachem North High School to partake in the "We Are Sachem" rally, a gathering put together by district leaders to celebrate the community and to showcase to state legislators what Sachem has been doing with the help of state aid.

The rally is in response to next year's daunting $26 million budget shortfall, which includes a reduction in state aid by $2 million.

Sachem Patch spoke with some of the organizers after the rally ended. Here's what they said.

On their overall impression:

Dana Platin, Sachem Legislative Committee co-chair: "It was a celebration of Sachem to showcase all the phenomenal things that go on here, and what we stand to lose...Our tagline is “We Are Sachem” and today we proved that. We weren’t North, we weren’t East. Today was all about Sachem.”

Robert Scavo, Sachem Board of Education President: “It was a great turnout. It showed the pride that we have in Sachem. We were able to showcase our best in music and fine arts, our best in theater, our best in clubs. It was great event, it showed the Sachem community what Sachem has been doing for a very long time."

On the message they hope to send to Albany:

Superintendent James Nolan: "I think the message we’re trying to send is that we have a great school district with an incredible history and reputation, and that we offer so much in and out of the classroom. Anything we lose or cut is hurtful to kids because kids are unique. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and different things they’re interested in."

Robert Scavo: "Just a couple years ago the state was providing about 45-percent of our budget. This year they’re supplying about 36-percent. Hopefully [lawmakers] were able to see today what was at stake, what we could potentially lose and return to Albany with a clear message. ‘Look, we have to do right by Sachem. We have to give them their fair share.”

Dana Platin: "Our message to them was: ‘you need to fight harder for us.’ Because we need to have a restoration of state funds. This is who we are, this is how special we are, but we can’t do it without you."

On Sachem's history with budget shortages:

Robert Scavo: "A couple years ago when we lost 16 million dollars, we did go up to Albany, we did meet with our local officials. The difference between then and now was that over the last couple of years, as a result of the disproportionate amount of state aid that we’ve received on a yearly basis, we had to use our reserves. So we don’t have anything to fall back on now. We have about $400,000 [in reserves], we should have about $12 million. So the situation has gone from bad to very, very serious."

Superintendent Nolan: "In 1992 I lost my job. I was excessed as a teacher; I had 10 years in, but I was still the least senior in my English department so I lost my job. So I lived through that, but nothing like this where we were so drastically reduced in state aid."

On some of the challenges of this budget process:

Superintendent Nolan: "The community decides, and we’re trying to get our finger on the pulse of the community. Everybody comes to our board meetings and they’re very complimentary and grateful for what their children experience and receive, but at the same time everybody has a different priority list, and that’s the tough part."

Robert Scavo: "When you have a 2-percent cap and you have a disproportionate amount of state aid that’s awarded to the district, it’s really a shift of the tax burden from the state to the school system. Just a couple years ago the state was providing about 45-percent of our budget. This year they’re supplying about 36-percent."

Superintendent Nolan on cutting district salaries:

"Our teachers and our other bargaining groups have been incredibly generous over the years in opening up their contracts and giving back. The contract is a legally negotiated item. Times might be tough, but we can’t be quick to offer up somebody else’s piece of the pie."