South Country Central School District Faces 'Significant Fiscal Challenges'

BELLPORT, NY — South Country Central School district officials' proposal to cut around 51 jobs — including 28 full-time teaching posts with retirements, librarians, and other support staff — to help make up a $3 million budget hole is the result of a "combination of significant fiscal challenges," its schools Superintendent Antonio Santana said in a statement to Patch.

Santana noted, that the district, is confronting the challenges, "like many districts across the state. The challenges include the expiration of federal relief funds, reductions in both foundation and building aid, "and steep, unforeseen increases in costs related to health insurance, transportation, and special education have placed a considerable strain on our budget," he said.

This is all the while enrollment is declining "overall," and the district's special education and English as a New Language populations are continuing to grow, requiring "additional staffing to meet mandated services."

'These realities have forced the district to make difficult decisions to ensure long-term financial stability while continuing to prioritize student needs," he said. "These decisions are never made lightly – staff reductions outside of attrition are always a last resort."

The district's adopted $147 million spending plan, representing a 2.87 percent increase from the current budget, including a 3.48 percent tax levy increase, which is equal to the tax cap, Newsday reported.

Thirteen of the total proposed eliminations would be retirements, however, the reduction in instructional staff would bring the teacher-to-student ratio from 10:1 to 11:1, according to the outlet.