Bad news and more bad news

Sullivan West prepares for severe cutbacks

By LAURIE STUART

NARROWSBURG, DELAWARE VALLEY, JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — With the backdrop of school closures, staff reductions and budget increases, the Sullivan West School District weighs heavy on the hearts and minds of the many stakeholders in the district.

A large turnout is expected at the May 5 board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the high school in Lake Huntington. On everyone’s mind is the community’s response to the $29,903,915 budget the board of education decided to back on March 17. This budget will likely force the closure of the Narrowsburg and Delaware Valley campuses.

“In a democratic process, we need to have our opinions heard and the place to do that is at the board meeting. We need to preserve our right to keep our schools open. It’s time to make that point to the board,” said Shaun Sensiba of Long Eddy.

Residents have explored their options at community meetings held in Long Eddy, Narrowsburg and Hankins. Letters have been sent to the individual board members as well as to Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and Senator John Bonacic. Residents are calling for investigations by both the attorney general and state comptroller’s office.

“I have received about 25 letters so far, with a few more each day,” board member Rick Lander said.

The school community is also reeling as 43 members of the support related personnel, staff, teachers and administrators received word that they will soon be “excessed.” Those in the lineup to have their positions eliminated received notification on April 28 and 29 that upon approval of the budget and a final decision of the school board, their jobs will be eliminated as of June 30.

“This is very devastating point in time for our faculty and staff. We have people with young families who will now be out of a job, people who have been here more than a decade or have been in the school for years. It’s a very sad time,” said Carol Slotkin, President of the Western Sullivan United Teachers and School Related Professionals.

Slotkin expressed concern regarding staff cuts. She specifically pointed to the elimination of K-12 computer classes. “All of the personnel who taught these classes were eliminated,” she said.

Superintendent Alan Derry had a different take on the situation and is confident that the educational opportunities will be increased through the current plan of action.

“Former business teachers taught keyboarding in K-6. Those types of operations are now more typically done through the classroom teachers or the library centers. That’s probably the direction that we will move in. Unless the technology becomes the daily part of the classroom activities then it will never have the full appreciation of the academics of the class,” he said.

According to Derry, the challenge will be to keep the bus runs to between 40 to 60 minutes. “My suspicion is we will be able to do it. Common sense tells us we’ll be running straight shots [from the furthest points in the district].

While articulated by Derry, there is one point that all agree on.

“There are many people paying the price for what led us to this point in time,” he said.

[Kimberly M. Weyandt contributed to this story.]