Teacher Association President: Cuts Mean We Will Be Stretched Thinner

The Kings Park Board of Education met last week in their final meeting before the budget vote, which takes place on Tuesday.

The proposed budget includes cuts of , prompting some concern between faculty members who were present at the meeting including a heated exchange between board trustee Steve Weber and Teacher Association President Jim Papas.

Tom Nally, a Social Studies teacher in the district commended school supeintendent Dr. Susan Agruso and the board for putting out a tight budget but was concerned too much had been cut.

“I impress upon my students their duty as citizens and there most important duty in this country is to have a say in your government and it looks to me the only thing we’re trusting this town and it’s taxpayers with is the decision about $12.31 (additional yearly cost a contingency budget would cost the average taxpayer assessed at $6,000), we’re not giving the option to chose to have smaller classes sizes or to have late buses,” said Nally.

Nally said other districts were putting up larger budgets and giving their taxpayers a choice about what they could afford to keep in their district.  He said he was concerned about saving teachers, saving programs and saving late buses and was critical about the proposed budget saying it was the type of budget you put forth after a budget fails.

Nally also voiced concern that people would be less likely to make the effort to vote because the difference between the budget and the contingency budget is so small.

Board trustee Steve Weber disagreed and reminded Nally and the audience that he has children in the district and he wouldn’t put forth a budget or vote for a budget that would not serve the interest of the children.

“You have to strike a balance and I think we’ve done that, I think we’re very confident we’ve done that,” said Weber ."This is a good good, good balance considering the difficult economic times we have and our first responsibility is to the education of these children,” said Weber.

Kings Park resident Jim McGuire asked if the union took pay freezes and referenced other Long Island districts that have done so.

“Would that have saved jobs?” said McGuire. Weber answered that it would have saved some jobs.

Parkview Parent Faculty Association President Fran Sullo asked if the teachers were to take a pay freeze now would it still save jobs.

“Yes, Yes, Yes,” said Board of Education President Bill Motherway.

Kings Park Teacher Association President Jim Pappas rose to voice his concerns about the budget, about the loss of teachers and programs. 

“According to this sheet we’ll still have a quality education, we’re saying there are no program cuts but there are,” said Pappas.

Papas said the board was being disingenuous in suggesting no programs have been cut and listed AP statistics, upper level Italian and a librarian at R.J.O Intermediate as some of the cuts.

“You’re going to be expecting us to do as much if not more. Attention to your students will be cut,” said Pappas. 

He added that there will be eight-percent less staff but not eight-percent less kids. 

“You’re cutting the attention the students deserve. We’ll be stretched thinner,” said Pappas.

Weber took offense to the accusations put forth by the Pappas and said the taxpayers have spoken and the budget reflects their desire to keep the budget affordable.

“I’m getting sick and tired of you accusing us of being disingenuous – we are volunteers and we put our heart and soul into this…. disingenuous, there are people being disingenuous but it’s not the board,” said Weber.