City Newspaper Archives - 12/2007
EDUCATION: Schools to appeal FAIR ruling
Published by Jeremy Moule on Dec 11, 2007
During a press conference Tuesday, December 12, West Irondequoit Superintendent Jeff Crane said the judge's decision was only the end of the "first round" and districts were prepared to take the suit to the state's top court, if need be. Crane is also president of the Monroe County Council of School Superintendents.
Jody Siegle, executive director of the Monroe County School Boards Association, says the judge's ruling was broad and based on sales-tax sharing in other counties. The Morin-Ryan sharing agreement, which is written into state law, makes Monroe County's sharing arrangement unique, she says.
The districts are hoping they'll fare better at the Appellate level, Siegle says, because the case will be heard by a panel of justices instead of a single justice.
Meanwhile, school officials are looking for ways to plug the funding gap they'll start amassing after January 1. West Irondequoit, which will have to make up $600,000, will tap a reserve fund. Brockport will cut spending while it figures out how to make up its $800,000 loss, says Superintendent James Fallon.
