School Board Member: Port Chester Community Must Work Together To Tackle Financial Woes

As (Port Chester school) board members we have been working hard to build collaborative relationships between all of the stakeholders in this community.  

As of early this week, the good news that our is restored is a welcomed relief. The leadership of the CSCA and the Administrators should be commended for the bold steps they have taken to help secure a vital part of our school community. Our residents should know that every board member appreciates the difficulty they have taken to protect early childhood education in our district.

I am personally thankful for those members who have stepped up to do the right thing for our kids.  

The future of our children depends on all of us working together to solve our institutional problems.  It has been said that this effort of collaboration is “an unnatural act performed by unconsenting adults.” The facts are incredibly uncomfortable to all.

I am hopeful that the same steps that have restored our kindergarten will prevent us from making additional staff reductions.  

Our local economic difficulties have been thrust down upon us by the combination of poor and unsavory business practices by big financial institutions and market speculators.  Also impeding our progress is our logged-jammed state government that continues to insist on unfunded mandates.  

These and other liabilities have caused financial burdens on our property owners and school community.  Sadly it is these external forces that have crippled our ability to provide “education excellence” to our children.    

Thankfully, we have hard working teachers that will continue to provide an excellent learning experience for our children.  As our board president has said, we value the work of our teachers and we are immensely grateful for their patience and hard work. As a teacher, I empathize with the daily demands of the job. I am very quick to clarify to those who would criticize our work. And boy, do we have our critics…   

In addition, I have first-hand experience being on both sides of the negotiating table. And the advice I have for all of us is to stay positive and focus on the welfare of the children we serve. In Stamford, CT, the district where I teach, our union was faced with the same stark economic atmosphere. Our union leadership answered the call, and a fair win/win outcome to save jobs was achieved.

Last year when I ran for this seat, I mentioned it more than a few times that our union reluctantly took a total one year wage freeze for the best interest of the children. A bitter pill, but necessary.  

As a new member to this Board of Education, I have quickly learned how limited our financial control really is. But that said, I do not feel comfortable placing the burden of our school budget problems solely on the taxpayers in this community.  I personally recognize the need to keep our taxes low. I also believe that the 2% tax cap - favored by 80% of New York residents, by the way - has served as a warning that all stakeholders must find a way to provide financial sustainability for school districts across our state.

Our positive collaboration is important for our residents especially for those whom are underwater with their mortgages, under-employed, or unemployed. These folks need reassurance that we are doing everything in our power to provide them with tax bill predictability.

Three weeks ago I was in Albany. I made our case to every lawmaker in Westchester for aid and mandate relief.  I think it is important to note that many of our neighboring school districts are facing the same pain. Bedford has announced it is furloughing 51 employees; 45 non-certified staffers are getting their pinks slips… Hendrick Hudson is projecting 12 teachers and 15 non-certified staff are being layed off… Edgemont is releasing 10 and etc…

A survey run by our local Westchester Putnam School Board Association has predicted 246 job losses due to budget cuts.  The split is about ½ certified to ½ non certified staff.  

All of us up here take our responsibilities very seriously.  No one on this board has enjoyed conversations about program cuts and layoffs. As you know, we are mandated to spend within our lawful means. An you may also know that there are a myriad of solutions. Some are complicated, some are easy.  We still hold out hope that some state aid will be available to us to restore some of these positions,  however, we need to act in in the real world.

Even if we receive aid from the state, the way our schools are financed need a major overall if we are to be sustainable down the road. I challenge everyone of you in this room to act. To run for office, write letters and sign petitions. Blame needs to be shared. Pointing fingers at this dias and the BOE is unfair.   

I did not run for a seat on this board to oversee the dismantling of our school district. I did not run to sit here and preside over layoffs and program cuts. I did not run for this seat to do harm our children’s education. I ran in order to oversee continuous improvements. 

We are parents and two of us are working teachers, we don’t want this. I think that my colleagues will agree that I speak for all of the members of this board; we do not want these cuts. 

As I said this effort of collaboration is “an unnatural act performed by unconsenting adults.” Let's sit and talk build positive relationships and get it done...

Robert Johnson is a member of the Port Chester Board of Education.