Long Island school district announces dozens of layoffs in face of $3.6 million deficit
NEW YORK -- A school district on Long Island is facing a multimillion dollar budget deficit and is now making major cuts to staff.
The Amityville School Board announced 47 layoffs in the district, from teachers to security personnel.
A slogan on the sign welcoming visitors to Amityville reads, "You never stand as tall as when you stoop to help a child," but some local moms say that Abraham Lincoln quote is lost on their children, who learned their teachers are being cut.
"It was never our intention to send our kids to private school, but now that we're looking at this tragedy in our own district," Faith Robinson said.
She says tuition has risen to costs that, as a mother of five, she can't afford.
"What goes through my mind is what am I going to do next year? I already talked to my fourth grader who was stressed out already to hear that her classroom size could go up by 10 to 12 students," mom Megan Messmann said.
The district is suddenly facing sharp and controversial layoffs: 32 teachers, six teacher assistants, five monitors, three security personnel and one custodian.
When the school board announced the cuts amid a $3.6 million deficit, there was furor.
"Incapable and incompetent," one person told the board.
"Leadership is an oxymoron in this district," another person said.
"We are students that are in constant need of guidance," one student said.
The superintendent declined our request for an interview but told parents in a letter increased costs in service for children with special needs, rise in charter school enrollment, higher costs for security and health insurance all contributed.
"We don't feel as through we have the whole truth," said Nakia Wolfe, president of the Amityville Teachers Association.
He says districts statewide received millions in pandemic aid, so why is there a deficit here now?
"We want accountability for how we got here and why our students are going to be less teachers," Wolfe said.
"The audit report reflects loose to no controls, wild overspending, zero oversight," Amityville schools advocate Wendy Canestro said.
The state comptroller is warning Amityville is on the "significant stress" list.
Parents demand a spending investigation.
The 47 layoffs are due to begin in June.
