Our friends at the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) have released a list of ten ways to cut costs in New York public schools without affecting the classroom. This was proposed as an alternative to New York State’s recent trend of laying off teachers, cutting early education programs and limiting opportunities for students.
In order for these proposals to take effect, state laws that bar changes in school districts must first be amended. They also require that school districts, libraries, local governments and BOCES work together towards the common goal of saving money. If state leaders and school officials collaborate, costs can be dramatically cut and reduce the effect of the changes to the state’s budget.
Proposals on the list include:
Contract Piggybacking: Allow school districts to piggyback on other state and local and federal government contracts for purchasing. This option will save both time and money. The following law would need to be amended: General Municipal Law §103(3).
Cooperative purchasing: By encouraging school districts and local governments to purchase cooperatively, larger scale purchasing can be enabled that would produce savings on goods including buses, office supplies, and computers. The following law would need to be amended: General Municipal Law §103(3).
Early Retirement Incentives: By offering early retirement incentives as an alternative to layoffs, school districts can produce savings. Often the costs of a highly experienced teacher are twice as large as those for a newer teacher.
Read the entire list here.