Last year, 22 school districts in New York were deemed financially distressed
| By Bianca Fortis |
| As part of a broader effort to tackle a massive budget deficit, the Mount Vernon City School District announced in December a plan to close three of its K-8 schools. Erica Peterson, Mount Vernon High School’s PTA president, worries the closures could demoralize an already economically depressed community. “How are we going to get new families to come to our district with these three schools closing? It’s going to affect the community,” said Peterson, who is running for a seat on the school board. “It’s heartbreaking to see something like this.”The Mount Vernon district was flagged as being in the worst “fiscal stress” of any in the state, according to a recent report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller. Each year, the office reviews the finances of more than 670 school districts, and its latest report found 22 school districts were in a state of financial instability. That’s up from 16 districts last year. As people continue to flee New York state due to issues like affordability and housing, school districts say that enrollment declines, along with inconsistent levels of state aid and a reluctance to increase property taxes, can leave them financially vulnerable. Meanwhile, educators say, the cost of providing an education to children continues to increase. |
| READ THE FULL STORY on NYFocus.com This story originally appeared in New York Focus, a nonprofit news publication investigating power in New York. Sign up for their newsletter here. |
