Here's one of the most depressing statistics I've seen (if you need any additional ones): Some 15,600 teachers didn't return to work in September. They were laid off. So our classrooms are bigger, we have fewer teachers, and our students are presumably learning less -- at the very time when they need to be learning more than ever.
And that's the FY10 budget crunch...
Likely it'll get worse. The revenue numbers in Massachusetts were bad. The likelihood of budget cuts occurring with the school year already underway is high. Same thing as happened last year, but a bit worse given that everyone is already running lean.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Jim...that was WITH the stimulus funding. In Massachusetts, we're now out of stimulus funding.
ReplyDeleteI'm flinching at the latest numbers from Beacon Hill. So far they seem to be holding the line on Ch.70, 'though local aid is going to get hit again.
And as we all know when local aid is hit there is a natural tendency to draw down the school budgets by the municipal authority. We were getting ready to talk about the next budget in Leicester. I'm expecting that we'll be talking about re-opening this year's budget shortly.
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