DOE Moves Forward With Budget Cuts
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The Department of Education is moving forward with budget cuts that were ordered by the mayor last year.
The cuts involve slashing 1.5 percent from the overall education budget.
The agency has decided to break it down by having principals slash one percent from their school budgets. The central office will also take a hit by reducing head-count by five percent.
The cuts need to be made by January 29th.
Schools Chancellor Joel Klein wrote a memo to principals this morning, saying "I wish I could say this is the last time I’ll have to ask you to make these hard choices, but our budget outlook remains uncertain."
In response to the announcement, the Council for School Supervisors and Administrators, CSA, issued a statement saying the cuts will impact cultural programs such as music, creative writing, dance, visual arts and, in some cases, sports.
The union said it is concerned that, "schools are being put under the gun again and in April they will probably be hit by a sizable projected state cut."
One, it says, will mean more tough choices.
School budgets were 4.9-percent less this year than last year.
The new cuts come as the city tries to bridge a $4 billion budget gap.