5/26--Public Petition was release to all. The link for the petition was posted on YCEA Facebook as well as here.
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/don-t-rush-to-support-harmful-budget-cuts-prematurely-until-the-facts-are-in-1?share=e1fde62a-3c7b-4b24-99d1-19301d1af517&source=rawlink&utm_source=rawlink&share=496192c6-6e5e-4c2d-bd65-3354d82cb4f5
Notice of Petition
This is the text of a petition being circulated to and signed by York City School District staff. We hope parents and residents support this message as well. We are also working on a similar message that we will circulate publicly later this week and will invite you to sign as well. It’s important that our elected officials understand that when it comes to the education of our students, we all must work together for their future.
In the meantime, if you have concerns with the district’s budget proposal, please attend the next school board meeting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Details on how to attend are here:
If you wish to speak, please register through their Zoom link.
TO: York City School Board
DON'T RUSH TO SUPPORT HARMFUL BUDGET CUTS PREMATURELY UNTIL THE FACTS ARE IN
On behalf of the York City Education Association and the York City Education Support Professionals, the teachers, educators and staff of York City School District urge school board members not to rush prematurely into a budget plan that will have negative repercussions that could last years and adversely affect our students’ futures.
Why is this important?
For the past year, we have heard a lot about the progress we have made since the district was almost taken into receivership in 2015 and the entire district nearly chartered out to corporate interests.
We don’t wish to jeopardize the progress we have made by returning to those difficult days. But the proposed cuts to programs and staff could have similar consequences by driving students from the district and compounding the problems that we have worked so hard to overcome.
Many questions about the actual finances remain, including uncertainties raised by the administration in its own proposal. At this point, the administration has still not provided a clear financial picture based on actual spending and revenue. Additionally, despite district projections, it is too early to determine how much federal funding the district will receive. York has already received $3.8 million in federal funding from the CARES Act. And just last week, Congress passed the HEROES bill, which would provide $1 billion in emergency funding to Pennsylvania schools to offset revenue losses from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The administration is proposing cutting 44 positions - 32 teachers, 11 aides and one assistant principal - and gutting programs that benefit some of our most vulnerable student populations in York County. We urge the board to examine the budget at all levels to address potential cost savings. Evidence shows that students learn best when they have fully staffed schools and trained professionals.
We urge the school board to address our concerns and review them carefully before taking any action prematurely that could negatively affect the York City School District and our students.