Auburn school board proposes budget that includes minor cuts, even though financial loss to COVID-19 could be severe

The Auburn School District Board of Education approved a budget during a three-hour meeting on Tuesday.

Finger Lakes News Radio reports that the budget includes a reduction in staff, and a $1.7 million gap that was covered through those efforts.

Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo said last week that he hoped there would be new numbers and guidance from New York State, but it didn’t happen.

He told FLNR that the cuts reflect the ‘initial runs’ and not the significantly greater cuts that would be necessary as outlined by Governor Andrew Cuomo. However, since his office provided no specific guidance – school officials went with what they knew.

The ‘initial’ numbers were outlined in April. If funding has to be cut before school starts, it will put districts in a difficult spot, according to Pirozzolo.

“If he’s going to cut our budget, he needs to understand that our class sizes are going to get larger – not smaller,” Pirozzolo said. “And when you’re trying to practice social distancing, putting more kids in a classroom is going to defeat the whole purpose.”

A vote will take place by mail in early-June. Deadline for getting ballots return is set for June 9th.

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