Brockport schools looking at staffing cuts

While officials in the Brockport Central School district are not facing the anticipated $2.2 million shortfall in state aid, they still must make up a deficit of about $800,000.

In order to make up the deficit they are considering eliminating 10 to 20 positions. The cuts range from teachers to administrators and many of the positions will be cut through attrition, the district’s Director of Personnel and School Community Relations Allan Berry said.

"There are a number of things that happened to put us in the position we’re being faced with," he said. Berry said with the state’s change in funding priorities, schools are being hit with budget shortfalls. "There are other priorities more pressing than schools that are getting the funds," Berry said.

In addition to the decrease in funding from the state, he said Brockport also faced a slight decrease in enrollment. Berry said district officials began looking at staff reductions in July and August when they realized the state aid picture was going to be bleak. In August, Brockport reduced its staff by eliminating four teaching and seven full-time non-teaching positions. "We’re looking carefully at reduction in expenses," Berry said.

School Superintendent James C. Fallon is committed to avoiding staff layoffs, Berry said. "We might have to trim programs and we might lose some staff," he said.

Brockport received $2.2 million less than it projected for the 2001-2002 school year but it also is getting less than it received in previous school years.

In 2000-2001 the district received $29,499,771 in state aid. For school year 2001-2002 the amount was cut to $28,762,948.

Berry also said the district has frozen spending and purchases; refinanced several bonds to spread the payments out over a longer term; curtailed unnecessary travel; moved up the bid process for various business insurances and reduced services in some areas.