Yonkers schools, facing $86 million deficit, urge community to aggressively lobby Albany

The Yonkers school system is looking at an $86 million budget deficit for 2024-25, in part because federal stimulus aid used to hire over 200 staffers is running out this year.

Interim Superintendent Luis Rodríguez, in an online presentation to the community Tuesday, made clear that he, other Yonkers officials and the community need to press Albany to address Yonkers' "desperate needs" with more financial aid.

"We are at a pivotal moment where the urgency for action is critical," he said.

Rodríguez was not ready to say how many staff positions or programs would need to be cut if the deficit isn't reduced or closed. He said only that reductions would be made so that core educational services "would not be irreparably damaged."

The Yonkers schools face annual, systemic budget problems, with revenues from the city, state and other sources often falling short of expenses. At the same time, 68% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged.

Last year, the Yonkers school board chose to take $34.3 million from reserves for this year's budget. The board has not decided whether it will have to make a similar move for next year, Rodríguez said.

Enrollment down, but student needs' growing

The board of education's preliminary budget for 2024-25 shows expenditures increasing by 10.7% over this year to $814 million.

Major cost increases — which Rodríguez described as being "out of the district's control" — are:

• negotiated salary increases (11%),

• employee benefit increases (12.3%),

• transportation costs (5.8%),

• out-of-district tuitions for students with disabilities (6.1%), and

• debt service payments (7.8%).

Most school districts across New York have seen student enrollments decline, and Yonkers projects having 22,726 students in grades K-12 next year, down from, according to state data, 24,633 students five years earlier, in 2019-20. But the district's needs are growing in many ways, Rodríguez said.

He said 19% of students have disabilities, and 846 students with specific needs be will educated out of district next year at a cost of $44.2 million. He said 310 students in district schools will need one-on-one aides, at a cost of $13 million, up from 81 students in 21-22.

Federal aid runs out

On the revenue side, the school board projects $728 million coming in next year, a $7.6 million or 1% drop from this year.

One issue is that the school system spent $33 million this year from federal American Rescue Plan funds to more than 200 staff positions. That money runs out this year.

Last year, then-Superintendent Edwin Quezada said the positions paid for with federal stimulus funds were essential — music and art teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists, others — and that public officials would have to figure out how to make up the difference.

"I'm going to stand tall and tell our public officials: This is your issue," he said. "You have to fund these positions, so they remain."

Anibal Soler Jr., currently superintendent of Schenectady schools, becomes Yonkers superintendent May 1. He could face the task outlining spending cuts before the new school year begins July 1.

Even with those federally funded positions, Rodríguez noted that the Yonkers schools have one librarian for every 1,600 students, 1 social worker for every 1,141 students, and one counselor and one school psychologist for about every 500 students.

"These are very, very disturbing ratios," he said.

As of now, the City of Yonkers is budgeted to contribute $293 million to the school system in 2024-25, an increase of 0.6%.

State "foundation aid," the main source of state aid to school districts, would increase to $286 million under Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal, an 8% jump over this year. About half the school districts in New York would get less foundation aid next year under Hochul's plan, although the numbers are certain to change in the final state budget, due April. 1.

The state will have to do much more for Yonkers, Rodríguez said.

What Yonkers is asking for

Rodríguez said he's asking the Legislature to group Yonkers with the New York City schools, not affluent suburban districts, in the formula that determines foundation aid, which could produce another $20 million in aid for Yonkers.

He'd also like the Legislature to replace $12 million in extra targeted funding that the Yonkers schools got this year.

A statement from Hochul's office Wednesday said: "Governor Hochul's Executive Budget includes record funding for education and under her proposal, Yonkers will receive a nearly 10 percent increase in Foundation Aid, an additional $24.3 million, compared to last year. We look forward to working with the Legislature and local leaders on a budget that meets the needs of all New Yorkers."Hochul's office noted that her budget plan includes total state aid to the Yonkers schools of $411 million, and that the Yonkers schools received $105.9 million in federal aid over the last three and a half years.

Rodríguez has another big ask: that the state give Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts in Yonkers a full-scale casino license, which would produce an annual windfall for the school district.

"Show up every way you can," Rodríguez told the community, in regard to lobbying efforts.

Robin Brumfield, president of the Yonkers PTA Council, said the city's students should not suffer. "Our students here in Yonkers deserve a quality education," she said.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers NY schools face $86 million budget deficit for 2024-25