[originally transmitted on Elwood Community Network on 9/12]
Last week there was a story in Newsday about the Elwood School District and its need to reduce its Kindergarten program from Full-Day to Half-Day due to fiscal constraints caused primarily by massive reductions in State aid.
Since the author of that article had obviously not done very much research, and had elected to simply talk to the first three people she found outside Harley willing to comment and made no more of an effort to seek a District or BOE comment than a single phone call, I thought it appropriate to set the record straight by communicating directly with the Newsday reporter.
The full text of my communication is pasted below.
Jerry Hannon
......................................
[begin pasted text]
As a long-time member of both the Audit Committee as well as the Citizens Finance/Budget Advisory Committee of the Elwood School District, and as a former President of the Elwood PTA Council, I appreciate media coverage of our small but very substantive school district.
Unfortunately, the perspective you received from three district residents did not provide a proper understanding of what proved to be a very complex issue.
You did make clear that you tried to get a comment from the district Superintendent, and were unable to do so before your deadline, but I would suggest that in the future you also try to reach either the President of the Board of Education, Joe Fusaro, or the Vice President, Dan Ciccone; their respective E-mail addresses are: <<fusaroj631@aol.com>>, and <<dtciccone@optonline.net>>.
From my own personal perspective, I would note the following:
(1) The budget setting process for the 2011/12 school year was the most challenging during my eleven years in this school district. Most notably, the massive cuts in aid by NY State, combined with the continuing service mandates imposed by the State, as well as the escalation of such cost factors as pension contributions mandated by the State, and exacerbated by ongoing cost structure constraints imposed by labor contracts agreed to by school districts during better economic times, forced this district -- and others -- to make major cuts.
(2) This is a K through 12 district, and not a K through 2 district -- nor, for an even worse perspective, a K-alone district. Nobody likes to see cuts affecting their child, and that is understandable, but 2011/12 was definitely a time for Shared Sacrifice, and it would be irrational to imagine that Kindergarten could not also be affected by budget cuts, when students in so many other grades, as well as taxpayers, had to make sacrifices as well.
(3) Knowing that the economic necessity of reducing from our Full-Time Kindergarten program, which was instituted only two years ago in Elwood when the State's aid contributions permitted it, the Board of Education came up with a very creative plan to enhance what would become the Kindergarten Half-Day Program with additional learning experiences. That was a plan whose details would be best addressed by the Board, but it is partially addressed in the pasted messages below; what I can tell you is that it would have required the consent of the local teachers union, Elwood Teachers Alliance, and I do note with considerable dismay that neither of the two residents which expressed to you their concern about the program cuts spoke about this plan, and about why it was never implemented. Perhaps one or both were unaware of the refusal by the union to cooperate, or perhaps one or both choose to avoid confronting the obdurate union officials about why they would not place the children in Kindergarten ahead of their own parochial self-interest.
Economic challenges are now a reality for school districts, and it does not appear that the budget-setting process for the 2012/13 school year will be any better, and it may well continue for years into the future.
Until the State increases aid meaningfully, and until the State reduces mandate costs, and until the few remaining unions -- largely teachers unions on Long Island -- which have not yet indicated a willingness to join in sharing the sacrifices, of students and taxpayers, districts like Elwood will be faced with burdensome challenges that will require Shared Sacrifice across the thirteen grade levels of each district.
Kindergarten can not be made exempt from such Shared Sacrifice, yet teachers unions, such as Elwood's, could help to reduce the level of sacrifice required by the students if they focused upon the totality of education rather than upon their own economic interests.
I invite you to consider the community commentaries -- pasted below -- which I transmitted to two E-mail distribution lists on July 3rd, and later posted on the blog Elwood Illuminations <<http://elwoodilluminations.blogspot.com>> where you will also find other school district and education-related commentaries.
You will also find my abbreviated bio on the home page of Elwood Illuminations.
While I realize it is not always possible to completely research a story, you should have the benefit of a comprehensive perspective on this and other issues related to the Elwood School District.
Regards, Jerry Hannon
About Me
- Jerry Hannon
- After a thirty year career at Chase, serving as a Managing Director and Global Relationship Manager, I took early retirement in the summer of 2000, and that enabled me to become active in community, school district, and town activities. Since 2004, I have been a member of the Elwood School District's Citizens Finance/Budget Advisory Committee, and since 2005 I have been a member of its Audit Committee, and serve on three other committees of the district. During the 2006/07 school year I was President of the Elwood PTA Council, and I remain active in PTA activities. In the community I serve as EVP for Community Affairs of the Old Chester Hills Civic Association, and served the Town of Huntington as a member of its Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee. For thirty five years, I have been a Director of the NY Council of the Navy League, and currently am Chair of its Audit Committee. A Vietnam Veteran, I retired as a Commander in the US Navy Reserve, and previously commanded two Naval Security Group reserve units.