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Killing The Heart And Muscle Of Unatego Schools

By Jenna Hanchard

Killing The Heart And Muscle Of Unatego Schools

February 10, 2012 Updated Feb 10, 2012 at 1:05 PM EDT

A local school district is at risk of killing what it calls the heart and muscle its educational system.

Unatego Central School District is set to lose more than one million dollars next school year--forcing the district to put more programs on the chopping block and consider the grave possibility of closing its doors.

There are several programs on the line including advanced placement courses, the entire kindergarten program, several extra curricular activities and cafeteria services.

These are all non mandated programs that can be cut but district leaders are standing firm asking the State to hold off on cutting about one million dollars in aid to the district.

It was standing room only at the Unatego Junior Senior High School Thursday.

Students, parents and teachers concerned about the future of the Unatego Central School District rallied the community together to beg local officials not to cut $1.1 million dollars in State aid for the next academic school year.

School leaders say this year the state cut $1.3. million dollars in aid forcing the school to hand over pink slips to five teachers, ten teacher's aides and one administrator.

The school also cut both the cross country and the boys volley ball team.

District leaders say their budget is already in the red.

Parents and students fear that quality education is in jeopardy.

"No child deserves to have their creativity or their passions suppressed and stifled by scholastic shortcomings," says one Unatego High School student.

"I am concerned about their education because they've been cutting teachers and different programs out, they're not going to have the full availability of certain things," says a concerned parent, Anthony Wilms.

"I believe our tax payers pay plenty to run this school district and I understand the total budget problem at the state level. What our concerns are is if you redistribute that money, then make it more equitable so we don't lose so much," says Superintendent Charles Molloy.

Students say without advanced placement programs and sports they would be less competitive applicants for top colleges.

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