Education march on Albany

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Governor George Pataki has proposed a $1.24 billion cut in education funding to trim down New York’s budget deficit, but teachers and parents plan to protest this grave mistake, they say.

“We’re coming to Albany to stage the largest demonstration the capital has ever seen. We will send a clear message to the governor and legislature: cutting funding to public education is the wrong choice. Join us in Albany. We need help to send that message,” Blaise Salerno, chairman of the Education Conference Board (ECB), said.

ECB and the Higher Education Conference Board have sponsored the March for Public Education: Pre-K through Post-Grad on Saturday, May 3, 2003 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. More than 25,000 people have already registered to march including teachers, students and taxpayers from urban and rural districts.

To organize a local effort aimed at fair education funding, the Sullivan West School District has formed a coalition of local teachers, staff, parents, school board members, and community groups. They will travel to Albany on May 3, and they invite members of the community to join them.

The next meeting of the coalition is on Monday, April 28 at 3:15 p.m. in high school room 178 at Sullivan West’s Jeffersonville campus. Community members, local civic organizations and businesses are invited to attend this planning meeting.

For more information call John Ogozalek at 845/482-4610 (ext. 434) or Carol Nearing at 845/932-8224.

Sullivan County moves to prepare animal science students

LIBERTY, NY — Agribusiness has a future in Sullivan County as the Sullivan County Career and Technical Education Program announces its fall, 2003 Animal Science Program. Open to incoming juniors and seniors enrolled in any Sullivan County school district, the program will prepare students for career options and admission to large and small college-level animal science programs. Working in a classroom setting and on a farm with large and small animals, students will gain hands-on training in livestock production, animal care and business.

Interested Sullivan County high school students can contact their home school guidance counselor or call the BOCES Career and Technical Education office at 845/292-7900, ext 152.