Unatego School Forum Letters Delivered To Governor's Education Czar

ALBANY, 02/15/12 -- State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I–Oneonta) today met with Governor Cuomo’s Deputy Secretary for Education David Wakelyn and delivered over 600 letters signed by parents, educators and other concerned citizens at a recent forum at Unatego High School.  Senator Seward also attended the forum which was designed to facilitate a discussion on proposed state budget cuts and the impact on Unatego and similar schools.

“I appreciated the chance to meet with Deputy Secretary for Education Wakelyn on behalf of Unatego, and in essence, all of the schools I represent,” said Senator Seward.  “It was an ideal opportunity to discuss the needs of many struggling schools and convey the message that New York’s public education aid formula doesn’t add up.”

Senator Seward has joined with other upstate senators in calling on the governor to alter existing school funding formulas to adequately account for the true financial condition of rural schools.  He has met with school administrators, teachers and citizen groups throughout his district to learn first-hand what measures are being proposed to deal with the governor’s proposed education aid cuts.

"Unatego Central School, and other similar districts, are considering cuts to essential education programs, AP courses, even closing school buildings.  The manner in which state dollars are distributed to low-wealth, rural schools must change to avoid gutting many of our upstate districts,” Seward added.

As a member of the senate majority education budget sub-committee, Seward is working to fine tune the governor’s budget proposal and continues to advocate for a more equitable distribution of state aid dollars.

“Schools across the state are being asked to do more with less, but for those that depend more heavily on state aid because of a lower tax base, the cuts run much deeper.  Developing a better formula for our rural schools is imperative,” Seward concluded.