Feedback: Carthage Restores Special Education Jobs To Budget; Tax Levy Reduced
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There will be no special education job cuts in the Carthage Central School District budget.
Superintendent Carl Militello says the eight jobs originally slashed from special education are back in the spending plan.
Militello says the decision was made in part after speaking with a parent, Justin LaJoie, who has been circulating a petition to prevent cuts to special education.
He collected about 1,000 signatures.
Militello says he still stands by a state review that he interpreted to say the district was over-servicing the program - an interpretation he used to justify job cuts.
Despite claims he misrepresented the review, he says he never did.A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for next Tuesday.
The plan is to try lower the tax levy again, while also cutting costs in the budget to make up for the re-instated jobs.
Militello says the public’s support helped bring back the jobs and he says another tax levy decrease is planned, but won’t say just how much.
He also says the special education department is getting three extra classes next year.
A closed doors meeting was held late Wednesday afternoon with school officials and municipal leaders about ways to cut costs before the May 20 budget vote.
The following is a statement from the municipal leaders about the meeting:
The school board has lowered the tax levy increase to 6.8%.
We feel it is unfortunate that additional cuts were not made to lower the tax levy increase.
The school has made it clear that this is the best they can do at this time.
We encourage residents to take a close look at the budget proposal and to get out and vote on May 20th.
We also hope that everyone will take a close look at all the candidates for school board before they vote.
We have asked that if the budget is turned down on May 20th that the board goes back to work to make additional cuts and allow for a second vote to gain residents approval.
Instead of taking the easy way out and implementing a contingency budget.
Respectfully,
Scott M. Burto, Mayor Village of West Carthage
G. Wayne McIlroy, President Village of Carthage
Terry L. Buckley, Supervisor Town of Champion
Mike Storms, Councilman Town of Wilna
Gary Eddy, Supervisor Town of Rutland
Lee Carpenter, Mayor Village of Black River
See Caroline Tucker’s report:
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