Dear City Council Member,

We are counting on you to stand up for our schools and our students and to reject the mayor’s budget cuts. Just after he announced the impact of the first round of 5% cuts, he is already moving forward with a second 5% cut.

These devastating cuts to school funding are unnecessary, when city revenues are higher than expected, the city’s reserves are at a near-record high, and state aid has increased.

Here are some examples from just the first round:

• $120 million in cuts to 3K/pre-K program
• $286 million in cuts to funded DOE positions
• $96 million in cuts to after-school, substitutes and other per-session pay and Summer Rising
• Cuts to hours, days and ages for Summer Rising
• $3.5 million cuts in Computer Science for All
• $10 million in cuts to community schools
• $72 million in cuts to the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene

He has threatened to make a third round of 5% cuts before June. We have to stop him now.

At a time when Albany has sent more money to New York City and has sought to correct a decades-long inequity by passing a law to lower New York City class sizes, the mayor’s cuts represent a huge blow to our students and school communities.

Please have our back and stand up for what’s right. Our kids are our future.