NO Cuts to NYC Schools’ Budgets
Mayor Bill de Blasio
Mayor de Blasio’s recently proposed FY21 budget proposes $140 million dollars worth of cuts to individual school budgets.
Budget cuts to the schools in our public school system could mean underfunded programming; fewer teachers, which would lead to larger class size; and a reduced number of school guidance counselors and social workers.
In light of the economic repercussions of the COVID19 crisis, tough decisions must be made about New York City’s FY21 budget, but there’s one easy thing to say: we cannot shortchange our children, the leaders of tomorrow.
Petition by
To:
Mayor Bill de Blasio
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Mayor de Blasio,
The COVID19 crisis has had unthinkable impacts on all of our lives. Second to the intense amount of human suffering that we see happening all around us, our City is suffering economically, and an uncertain economic future looms in front of us.
The $2 billion of budget cuts in Mayor de Blasio’s proposed FY 21 Executive Budget are a response to the $6 billion budget shortfall currently facing our City. We fully understand that tough decisions must be made in the budget negotiations currently taking place in light of this crisis and the associated economic fall out. However, no funding should be coming out of our classrooms.
The Mayor’s current proposed FY21 budget calls for $140 million dollars in direct cuts to individual schools' budgets. This is unacceptable and ill advised. To cut funding from our schools would have disastrous repercussions, both in the immediate and long term.
Over a million children and young adults across all five boroughs rely on our public schools, and not only for strictly educational purposes. Our public schools also serve as places of refuge from a broken home, reliable sources of food assistance, and places of emotional support. Cuts to school funding would immediately retract from both the tangible and holistic well-being support that schools provide to our kids. All children would suffer as a result of budget cuts, but our most vulnerable learners-- students with disabilities or learning impairments, english language learners, and economically disadvantaged youth --would feel them most acutely.
As our world grapples with an unprecedented crisis, the importance of a well educated, resilient citizenry has never been more apparent. In order to overcome the challenges of tomorrow, we must invest in the youth of today. This means giving them the tools and resources necessary to realize their full potential. That starts in the classroom.