As one of New York state’s “big five” districts, the Syracuse City School District relies heavily on local, state, and federal funding. Superintendent Anthony Davis said district officials are keeping a close eye on the recently passed federal spending plan.
"We're still weeding through what it means for us, but it's absolutely a worry,” Davis said. “Because any dollar we lose, we've got to find a way to replace it, because we don't want to cut back on services for kids and families."
Davis said the district is working on contingency plans for a potential funding gap of $7 million. The district’s overall budget is about $600 million. He said when the district learns more, officials will work on solutions with the board.
Beyond the school budget, Davis said he’s concerned about other aspects of the bill that may affect members of the larger Syracuse community, like cuts to SNAP benefits or Medicaid.
"School is the community, so that's one of the messages that we've been pushing forward,” he said. “It's like, it's not one or the other, it's a part of, so yes, when I'm speaking about the school, I'm speaking about the entire community."
