Kids Not Cuts: Brooklyn Students And Parents Rallied Against Budget Clawbacks

Stakeholders are demanding that the state and local government increase school budgets and provide full amnesty from budget clawbacks

Brooklyn, NY -- Dozens of PTA leaders, concerned parents and students from across Brooklyn, including Assemblymembers Carroll and Simon, rallied at Grand Army Plaza against proposed budget clawbacks -- requiring schools that have enrollment drops to return millions to the DOE. Schools have had to contend with increasing costs from additional pandemic related costs, including hiring more substitute teachers and implementing hybrid as well as remote programs.

“This is not the time to cut school budgets,” said Justin Krebs, Secretary of the District 15 Presidents Council, Board Member of the PS 39 Parents Association, and parent of three elementary school girls. “Teachers and administrators are in dire need of resources to keep our kids’ education afloat.

In order for schools to open safely and equitably for 5-day in-person school this fall, we need to be investing in additional tutors and teacher aides, individualized learning, smaller cohort opportunities, closing the digital divide, and ensuring multilingual communications about schooling. Schools should be a priority, not a casualty or an afterthought. Let’s stop these current budget clawbacks and demand more.”

“The students, families, and educators in this city have had to make do under unprecedented conditions this year – on top of having been underfunded for decades. Just like every other type of systemic injustice, education injustice disproportionally affects low-income families and people of color. Now is not the time to penalize our schools for registration loss – that is not a solution. Now is the time to invest in our kids, support our teachers and school staff and address the glaring educational disparities exposed by the pandemic,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon.

A recent report showed that the budget clawbacks are disproportionately affecting schools in low-income communities and communities of color. Parents and students rallied to support full amnesty from budget clawbacks, instead of the 25% clawback reduction proposed by the DOE -- in addition to increased state and local funding to combat learning loss, decrease class sizes, and implement covid safety protocols. 

"The children of this city have endured all of the trauma, all of the changes, all of the upheaval and pain this pandemic has caused. They have done everything the adults have asked of them, with determination and bravery. Now it is our turn to be determined and brave. Our children deserve to return to fully and appropriately funded schools. Not schools knee-capped by ridiculous clawbacks. We are determined to achieve for our students nothing less than a 100% reduction of this debt and proper funding for every public school in NYC,” said Jessica Flores, President of the PS 9 PTA, and one of the lead organizers pulling Brooklyn families and schools together around this issue.

“The goal of every parent, educator, student, and elected official should be safe 5 day a week in-person learning this fall.  To reach that goal we need a real plan and adequate resources.  No school should lose funding because of a drop in this year’s enrollment and we should be investing more in our schools to make up for lost learning and the trauma that COVID has inflicted on our children.  I am proud to stand with parents, educators, and students to make sure that our schools get the funding they desperately need and to urge the DOE and the Mayor to outline a detailed plan on how to reopen for 5 day in-person learning and how to get our students all the necessary supports they need to make up for lost time during the pandemic,” said Assemblymember Robert Carroll.

The budget clawbacks come amidst an unprecedented infusion of federal funds into NYC schools. Despite increased federal regulation surrounding the use of stimulus funds, parents are concerned that the state government will again use the federal funds to offset state budget cuts to school budgets, as Governor Cumo did with $1 billion of the first federal stimulus. Parents are advocating for increased state and local investment in schools, the elimination of school budget cuts, and amnesty from budget clawbacks.

“It’s time that we truly fund education and that means funding all students. For too long school budgets have been cut and NYC schools have been owed money, we need to change that reality and invest in schools. We need to stop the clawbacks and pass state tax laws that provide for every child across the city and state.

This pandemic has left our neediest children in the dark and that is not ok. We need to head into the new school year with the promise of more funding, not less. No teacher should lose their job this year because schools can't afford to hire them back. We need the commitment of long term funding to bring equitable education to black and brown students who have been left behind for too long. We have an opportunity for change, we need to act on it.” said SaSaDi Odunsi, co-president of the PS 321 PTA, and parent to four public school students.