Our schools need your help

For the last few weeks you have been reading in the bulletin letters from me regarding a little known State Education Program referred to as Mandated Services. This program is reimbursement to Catholic and other independent schools for their expenses in complying with state mandates such as attendance tracking, record keeping, and health information reporting, as well as administering state programs like the English Language Arts, Math and Science exams. The program funding was cut by more than $17 million dollars, that’s 12%, when Governor Paterson and the legislature enacted across-the-board cuts in April and again in August.

However, these across-the-board cuts did not apply to public schools. Moreover, public schools received an increase of $1.8 billion dollars for a second year in a row. To make matters worse, Governor Paterson and the legislature altered the very essence of the Mandated Services program by reducing the state’s legal obligation for reimbursement to less than 100% of our expenses. If this precedent is allowed to stand then the program will have changed from a reimbursement mechanism for money already spent and on which our schools depend to a grant program which will be subject to the political whim of the Governor and legislature.

Furthermore, the Governor and legislature have scheduled a session for this Tuesday, November 18th to enact further cuts of up to $18 million more. Not only must we fight any further cuts in the current fiscal year, we must demand a restoration of the state’s legal obligation under the Mandated Services program.

I have placed information on how to join the Catholic Advocacy Network in the lobby of the Church and School. The NYSCCB website has listed phone numbers for each government official, created form letters, for faxing, mailing and emailing. I beseech you to please contact the Governor and your legislators to fight additional cuts this school year and once again urge them to restore the legal commitment to our schools.

To paraphrase Fr. Vavonese, “We Catholic schools are already saving New York State over $15,000 per student. To take money away from people who are already saving the state money would be unconscionable.”

Thank you for your assistance with this important political action. God Bless.