The Sachem Central School District learned Thursday that $2.5 million will be restored in state aid for the 2011-12 school budget, according to Superintendent James Nolan.
It's still a deduction of around $13 million compared to the aid received during the 2010-11 school year.
"We certainly appreciate any funding that comes our way, but in the big picture the true problem has not been addressed," Nolan said earlier in the week. "Long Island continues to shoulder the greater burden and Sachem has still taken the greatest hit despite our recognized, excellent budget management and planning."
Earlier this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislators agreed on a $132.5 billion budget, the lowest figure in 15 years, restoring $272 million to school aid across the state. In total there were $1.2 billion in state education cuts.
Last week hundreds of Sachem teachers and administrators against educational cuts with a battle cry of having been fiscally responsible, but still suffering massive cuts.
"I have said that New York is at a crossroads – one road leading to further dysfunction and decline, the other towards fiscal responsibility and government efficiency. I believe this budget puts us on the right path," Cuomo said in a statement. "This budget makes tough choices, which is what you sent me to Albany to do. It closes a $10 billion dollar deficit with no new taxes or borrowing, redesigns government to force it to cut waste and inefficiency, and finally delivers real results for hard-working families across New York State."
Among other areas restored in the budget were human services ($91 million), and higher education ($86 million).
"The Governor had proposed new unfunded mandates on school districts which have also been addressed in the education aid restoration," State Sen. Lee Zeldin said in a letter to the editor that appeared on Sachem Patch. "The new budget agreement ensures that Long Island Schools are funded more fairly and equitably than was originally proposed in the Governor's Executive Proposal."
Assemblyman Al Graf, however, was not happy with the overall end result of the budget.
"I believe that New York State has missed an historic opportunity to help struggling New Yorkers," he said. "We had the opportunity to make real, fundamental change in the way that New York does business, and we let that opportunity slip away."
At the last Sachem board of education meeting, a total operating budget of $287.8 million for the 2011-12 school year was approved.
The next hurdle for the district is to settle where the restored funding will go. The board of education meets on April 6.
According to Sachem Assistant Superintendent Bruce Singer, the total cash restored for Sachem is $2,525,437.
