The Auburn Enlarged City School District is cutting 13.5 staff positions to cover a more than $3.5 million-dollar deficit.
The reductions will result in job losses for about eight employees, according to Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo, who says the numbers would have been far worse had the community not approved an increase in taxes this spring.
“Originally we were looking at 32.5 positions to be cut," Pirozzolo said. "And because our community really rallied and showed their support for the children and education here in Auburn with the passing of the 3.98 percent tax levy [increase], we are only going to have to reduce and cut 13.5 positions.”
Pirozzolo says the cuts are just one of many sacrifices the district has made recently, including increasing class sizes and selling one of the school buildings.
He blames the deficit on New York state's Foundation Aid Formula, a method used to determine how much funding each school district will receive. Without more state aid, Pirozzolo projects that Auburn's schools will face a $2 million budget gap next year and a $5.5 million gap the following year.
The Auburn Enlarged City School District serves approximately 4,200 students with a staff of about 600.
