School districts will feel budget pinch

LANCASTER, N.Y. (WIVB) - Some very painful decisions await school districts in western New York. They are all expected to see their state funding slashed dramatically. And Monday night, taxpayers in one town told school leaders where those cuts should come.

Edward Myszka said, "My goal as superintendent is to maintain our current programs."

But Lancaster School Superintendent Edward Myszka admits that's going to be difficult now. Under Governor David Paterson's executive budget, the Lancaster School district will be getting around two million dollars less state aid this year than it did last year.

Myszka said, "Lancaster was in line to receive +4.2 million dollars."

But now, a seven percent cut from the state has forced the district to change it's game plan. So Monday night, school leaders didn't talk, they listened...to the taxpayers.

Lancaster resident Karen Schaeffer said, "I am asking you would show good faith and take a pay cut."

Districts all over the state will be getting less as the governor proposes to cut nearly 700 million dollars in aid to public schools. In Lancaster, residents tried to problem solve.

Lancaster resident Lee Chowaniec said, "Low income cannot sustain health insurance that far exceed their own."

Costly health insurance for the district was the hot topic for the night.

"We have never had dental or vision care. Not only do we pay for our, but we pay for your benefits and everyone else in the district too."

Even students showed up to urge school leaders to keep some of the programs that cost the district money, including sports.

"Kids use scholarship money from those sports to go off to college."
School leaders did not make any decisions on cuts Monday night.

Other districts are feeling the pinch as well. In the Ken-Ton schools, it's a cut of 3.2 million dollars. For the Buffalo Schools, the cut could leave the district with a staggering 60 million dollar deficit.