The Mark Twain School for the Gifted and Talented is feeling the heat from the city’s budget cuts.
Principal Carol Moore told this paper she won’t be able to continue Mark Twain’s after-school programs through June.
“We’re ending our after-school programs after Passover,” she explained.
Mark Twain, located at 2401 Neptune Avenue, is one of numerous schools that were forced to eliminate after-school programs because of funding cuts from the city.
Moore said she is “absolutely worried about the budget cuts. I want to enhance programs, not diminish programs.”
“Any change does concern me,” she continued, “but I’m sure everything will be fine.”
Earlier this year, Mayor Michael Bloomberg cut $180 million from the city Department of Education’s (DOE) budget. He wants to cut an additional $324 million next year.
Parents, politicians and school staffers are now working together to prevent that money from being cut next year.
Several Community Education Councils (CEC) passed a resolution demanding the reversal of school budget cuts.
The resolution states, “The mayor committed to raise New York City’s investment in our children’s education by $2.2 billion over four years but is taking back $180 million this year, with $100 million coming right out of the classrooms, and cutting an additional $324 million next year for a two-year total of more than one-half billion dollars.”
The resolution demands that the City Council and the mayor “keep the promises to our school children.”
They’re also hoping that the state’s recent decision to reverse its school budget cuts will influence the city to do the same.
Eliot Spitzer proposed cutting $193 million from city schools but when state budget negotiations were underway, the legislature agreed to not only reinstate the funding but also add additional cash. The state will now send $643 million to city schools next year.
“It puts more pressure on the mayor to rescind his cuts as well,” said City Councilmember Bill de Blasio, who opposes any school budget cuts.
