Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - With a $100 million deficit looming and no more federal COVID-19 stimulus money coming, one Buffalo teacher fears there will be significant layoffs come the end of the school year.
"There going to be abundant layoffs across the entire district," warns Jim Healy, the Buffalo Teachers Federation delegate from Buffalo Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.
At his wife's school, Southside Academy, Healy says they're looking at one layoff out of every grade, while he's looking at six teachers being laid off at his school.
Healy says he's looking at some of the small departments at City Hall, one he says has 10 different directors.
"They're making $130,000-plus each. Do you really need that many people in City Hall, or shouldn't you have people sitting here in the classrooms being one on one with the students of Buffalo?", Healy pondered.
Healy believes the district could have done better dealing with its finances.
"If you've gotten yourself in a situation where suddenly that money's out the door, which you knew was going to happen, it doesn't sound like good solid planning. To me. It sounds like that their long-term plan didn't go as it should have," Healy contended.
Buffalo School Board Member Larry Scott says the district has to spend all allocated COVID funding by the end of this school year.
As for layoffs, Scott says there is a remedy to avoid them.
"That doesn't mean that they're not proposing reductions. But they feel with an average of about 300 retirees per year and some vacant positions, that layoffs will be avoided at this time," said Scott with WBEN.
Scott says he and his fellow board members have been preparing for a shift to going without COVID funding. He acknowledges the investment in additional staffing needs to be addressed.
"Two of the position types of positions that I've advocated heavily for our reading teachers and mental health professionals. Those are going to continue to be priorities for me. And what I'm looking closely at when I look at this budget," Scott noted.
Scott has requested and will continue to request a line-by-line budget of where staff has increased based on position.
"I want to see where these increases have incurred, and if there are ways that we can at least reduce or minimize the costs and reductions for those staff that provide the direct services and support and instruction to our students," Scott insisted.
A vote from the School Board on the budget won't come until May 15.
