BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CLIFTON -- Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush and Clifton-Fine school officials continue to raise concerns over potential cuts to school foundation aid that could cut nearly $1 million for the district while increasing the tax levy 21%.

Officials have pointed to the proposal in the executive budget to remove the hold harmless clause, which would allow the state to cut foundation aid as they see fit.

With the clause in place, the state is required to offer at least as much foundation aid each year as it did the year prior, essentially ensuring the state is unable to reduce aid indiscriminately.

"In Gov. Hochul's budget presentation earlier this month, she proposed eliminating the hold-harmless provision from foundation aid, which drew criticism from school districts across the state. The hold-harmless formula has been in place for years and has served as a predictive model for school districts to plan out their budgets. It ensured funds received by the state didn’t fall below the prior year's amount. Drastically changing the formula would jeopardize the future of many school-sponsored programs," Blankenbush wrote in a press release.

Shifting costs

Those affected the most would be Canton, Hammond, Madrid-Waddington, Morristown and Ogdensburg, north country reps say.

Now Clifton-Fine has issued a statement to district residents, with Superintendent Matthew Southwick detailing a proposed cut of 24%, which would be a $940,000 foundation aid reduction.

That would mean that taxpayers would be on the hook to make up the losses.

Foundation aid is essential for the fiscal health of many districts, according to north country reps, funds that are largely used for salaries, academic development and emergency projects up to a certain dollar amount.

Southwick was critical of the proposal, saying it "lacks care and concern for small rural communities such as ours and the ability for all students in the state to have the same opportunities regardless of where they live."

"We are located in the upper left corner of the Adirondack Park and are the largest employer in our area. Geographically our district is expansive as our neighboring districts to the west and east are 22 & 45 miles away respectively. To help underscore the student population we serve, it should be noted that according to Comptroller DiNapoli’s website, 74% or 3 out of every 4 students walking our hallways daily are economically disadvantaged," Southwick wrote.

If foundation aid were cut to Clifton-Fine, Southwick said it would have "severe consequences in our ability to assist the students we serve," and could translate to a 21% increase in the tax levy for district residents.

School officials would also have no way to recoup those losses locally with a state imposed tax cap restriction, which limits the school's ability to raise revenue, he said.

"We acknowledge that our enrollment numbers may have decreased compared to when Save-Harmless was enacted, largely in part due to factors such as local families leaving the North Country and the ease of home-schooling requirements. Yet, the needs of our students we serve have continued to increase significantly," Southwick wrote.

School officials say the district helps families with clothing needs, while also providing food with an internal food pantry and mental health services for students and families alike.

"We are grappling with rising expenses due to growing rates of students with disabilities, closing the academic achievement gap from the pandemic, and providing mental health services. Fewer students does not necessarily equal less need," Southwick wrote.

Equitable wealth?

Southwick also touched on the growing income wealth disparity as reflected in the wealth index for families in the district.

"Locally, the income wealth index for families that actually live here and send their children to Clifton-Fine is .42. Note, the state average is 1.0; thus, this philosophy is based on a false pretense and understanding. We have been told we are “land rich” as our District boundaries encompass state land and lakefront second homes with ballooning home appraisals, yet at last count only two student families we serve live on the water," he wrote.

Blankenbush also touched on the "land rich" comments from state officials, calling it "disheartening."

“It's disheartening to see schools classified as "land rich" being overshadowed by the reality of the community. Gov. Hochul would rather make laws based on numbers on a piece of paper than the needs of the students,” said Blankenbush. “A staggering 64% of student families rely on assistance programs, and the removal of the hold-harmless provision threatens the school district with a devastating loss of nearly $1 million. This loss directly impacts the ability to invest in crucial academic support programs, enhance disability access and provide essential mental health services for our students," he said.

Southwick said the "fiscal cliff" the Governor has the district on could have severe consequences.

"In addition to the fiscal cliff the Governor is proposing and compounding our negative financial portfolio, we are preparing for a district budget that no longer includes American Rescue Plan funding. While we have planned strategically to mitigate the impact of the loss of this Federal Aid funding stream, this will still ultimately require us to scale back student programming and opportunities that this funding afforded, in addition to now the large loss due to the Save- Harmless proposal," he wrote.

Blankenbush said he would help districts navigate the "challenging period" while monitoring reports from schools throughout the district.

“As we navigate through this challenging period, I'm committed to closely monitoring reports from other school districts. We must advocate for the preservation of resources vital to the well-being and academic success of our students here at Clifton-Fine Central School District,” Blankenbush said.