Senator Kennedy to Hold Roundtable Discussion with Parents and Students on the NYS Budget and Education

Roundtable will focus on the budget’s impact on Western New York’s school children

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. – Senator Timothy M. Kennedy will hold a roundtable discussion with parents and students to hear their concerns about the N.Y. State budget at the Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Cheektowaga. The focus of the talk will be the budget’s impact on Western New York’s school children, with a specific focus on the impact on students in the Cheektowaga-Sloan School District.

The Cheektowaga-Sloan District is slated to be hit with a double-digit percentage cut in state aid. In real dollars, that’s almost $1.5 million. Because the district’s undesignated fund balance is down to about $5,000, according to the state comptroller, Cheektowaga-Sloan falls far short of having the reserve funds to cover the massive aid cut.

“As it currently stands, it appears the state budget will take money from the hands of Western New York’s school children and send it directly to the pockets of Wall Street millionaires,” Senator Kennedy said. “This roundtable discussion will bring students and parents together to raise awareness of the budget’s impact on school kids.”

WHO: Senator Timothy M. Kennedy; parents and students from the Cheektowaga-Sloan School District and throughout Western New York

WHAT: A roundtable discussion focused on the budget’s impact on Western New York’s school children

WHERE: Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School Cafetorium, 2495 William St., Cheektowaga

WHEN: Friday, March 25, 2011; 4 p.m.